The Sports Directory

Greatest Moments in College Football History

2009-07-27T00:42:00.000-07:00

25 Greatest Moments in College Football History

2009-07-25T15:55:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to do this lost for a long time. I don't think the order of the plays/notable happenings is really what has caused me to delay doing this for so long. As a matter of fact, it is actually the finding videos from youtube and other sources so I could help to document them. By the way, you will certainly not agree with this list because they are not all from bowl games or #1 vs. #2 matchups, but they are plays or memories that are so rare and so crazy that they make college football what it is, not just for today, but for the last 140 years. Hey, maybe I should have done 140 memories... nah that would take too long. Also, there will be no Cal-Stanford play on here because that would be too easy to pick #1, it's a major cliche, and its only real historical significance is that it kept John Elway from appearing in a bowl game. Let's get to it.

#25 Michigan vs. Everyone 1991 Desmond Howard's Magical Run to the Heisman- Howard's run for the Heisman all started on September 7th when he led a comeback victory against Boston College. After trailing 10-0, he caught 3 TD passes from Elvis Grbac and scored on a 93-yard kickoff return to really command attention. The following week he made probably the most famous catch by a Big 10 player with his 4th down, 4th quarter catch against Notre Dame in the far corner of the end zone. The gutsy call by Wolverines' head coach Gary Moeller showed that he knew what kind of weapon he possessed. Even though Michigan was humbled 51-31 the following week by #1 Florida State in a showdown game, Howard still had an amazing day against All-American CB Terrell Buckley. Michigan's next game against Iowa offered little rest for Howard as he clinched the game with two key touchdown receptions, making the most of his four grabs on the day. Iowa would only lose one game on the year by the way, so this effectively cost the Hawkeyes a Rose Bowl berth. Late in October, Howard had another opportunity to shine as Michigan rolled over Minnesota 52-6. Howard caught a long TD pass and then added a 41-yard scoring strike to set the Big 10 record for TD receptions. In mid-November, Howard and the Wolverines sowed up a Rose Bowl berth by blanking a decent Illinois squad 20-0, with Howard scoring on a short TD pass and a 15-yard run to seal the deal in the 4th quarter. In the annual season finale vs. Ohio State, Howard made what would be the signature play of the 1991 season. Howard took a punt deep in his own end and seem trapped, but after a few quick moves he was past the first wave of Buckeye defenders and off to the races. The 93-yard punt return for a TD was a school record and his 23rd of the season. After he finished, he struck the Heisman pose just moments after ABC announcer Keith Jackson had proclaimed, "Hello Heisman!" If ever did a player campaign for an individual award and deserve it, it was Howard. Florida St. vs. Michigan 2-parter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0YxHNpZpiw & http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RYQ3vrFJtU&feature=related "The Catch" vs. Notre Dame http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJA3sJawFaY&feature=PlayList&p=8D822BDFED9AAB47&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=33 Michigan vs. Iowa http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQNQhXe1qMk&feature=PlayList&p=2DFD321D82935866&index=0 Michigan vs. Illinois http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jF9JUlHZi4M&feature=PlayList&p=2DFD321D82935866&index=1 Heisman pose http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2E_cOgyCKY

#24 Texas vs. Nebraska 1996 Big XII Title Game "The Gamble That Paid Off"- This was not to be that close of a game considering Nebraska was the two-time defending national champions and with just a win in this game, they might be playing for another national title shot on New Year's Day. Led by QB Scott Frost, IB Ahman Green, an outstanding OL and multiple future NFL players on defense, the Longhorns only chance was to keep this game close. And, that they did. With a slim 30-27 lead late in the 4th quarter, Longhorns Coach John Mackovic had to make a call on 4th down, deep in his own territory. Instead of handing it off to Ricky Williams or Priest Holmes, who would have 120 yards on just 9 carries, he let much-maligned QB James Brown roll left and throw a strike to Derek Lewis, who rumbled with it 61 yards. Holmes would score on the very next play, and Nebraska's hopes at a 3rd straight national title were dashed. This allowed Florida to sneak in and play Florida State for a Sugar Bowl rematch and the ability to win the national title since undefeated Arizona State and their QB, Jake Plummer, lost in the Rose Bowl.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6x3DmBfQrIE

#23 Oklahoma vs. Nebraska 1986 Keith Jackson, All-American- With Colorado still a few years away from reaching any threat to both of these clubs for Big 8 supremacy, every matchup between these rivals had not just conference championship implications, but national title ones as well. Jackson was an outstanding TE for the Sooners, never gaining a ton of yards through the air thanks to the Wishbone attack Barry Switzer loved to employ, but he sure made the most of his receiving opportunities. On this play, Sooners' QB Jamelle Holieway throws a perfect strike down the sideline with under 20 seconds to play and looking to get into FG range. Jackson makes the catch and somehow gets deep enough for a chip-shot FG. It was a 3rd down play and had the Sooners not managed to get the winning kick, their dreams of a national title may have disappeared.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2ctTxZZ1Yo

#22 Georgia Tech vs. Virginia 1990 The Greatest Game You Never Saw- This is one of those games that will never pop right into people's heads as one of the great games in college football history, but it truly was. UVa, who came into the game being led by standout QB Shawn Moore and WR Herman Moore, were on a roll and cruising past opponents by a margin of 37 points, averaging 48 themselves per during their 7-0 start. The Cavaliers had an ended an impressive losing streak to Clemson that dated back to 1955 by dominating them 20-7, but aside from that, they had no key wins before their showdown with the Yellow Jackets. The game started off quickly for both QBs as Shawn had 2 TDs runs while GT QB Shawn Jones, who would become for a time the all-time leader in ACC history for total offense, scored on a 23-yard TD run of his own. Still, trailing 28-14 at halftime, Jones fired TD passes to Jerry Gilchrist and Emmett Merchant to tie the game at 28 in the 3rd quarter. After a 63-yard bomb from Shawn to Herman Moore gave UVa yet another lead, Jones had one of the great second halves in terms of leadership by a QB as he was determined to keep the Yellow Jackets on track towards the 1990 national title. Besides just the 2 TDs that erased a 14-point halftime deficit, Jones also was the triggerman on a 74-yard drive that ended with TB William Bell scoring on an 8-yard plunge. The Jackets took a 38-35 lead thanks to K Scott Sisson, right before an emotional goal-line stand forced UVa coach George Welsh to decide on going for it on 4th down or playing for a tie and kicking the FG. He chose to it at 38-38, and then Jones led a drive with just under two and a half minutes left to play that culminated in Sisson's game-winning FG from 37 yards away. Post-game coverage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D13kdB5kgVQ&feature=related
Final Drive: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKEQ1vrq-fw&feature=related

#21 Notre Dame vs. Colorado 1990 Orange Bowl It Wasn't His Fault- I know this list has seemed pretty positive, at least for the fans who had great memories, but this sure isn't a good one for Notre Dame fans. Possibly the greatest kick returner in history, Raghib "Rocket" Ismail had a chance to end Colorado's dream of a national title in 1990, just as the Irish had done the previous year. With the game in it's final seconds, the Buffs made a mistake kicking it to Ismail, who returned the punt all the way for a TD. Thankfully for Buffs fans, they were bailed out by a clipping call.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqC_Br3cDJg

#20 1992 Alabama's final 3 Games The Greatest CB Tandem of All-Time, George Teague and Antonio Langham- The first highlight is from the '92 Iron Bowl where Antonio Langham stepped in front of a Stan White pass and returned it for a TD to start the 17-0 domination. Then, against future All-Time SEC passing leader Shane Matthews in the 92 SEC Title game, Langham did it again to win the game, as it was tied 21-21 late in the 4th. Then, when the Hurricanes faced Alabama in the 1992 national title game at the Sugar Bowl, everyone expected the 'Canes to dominate with speed, speed, and more speed. However, the Tide showed why they may have had the best defense of the last 20 years. Late in the game, 'Canes' FL Lamar Thomas was sprinting towards what appeared to be an easy TD when Tide CB George Teague caught him from behind to cap an amazing season. Teague also had an INT return for a TD in the national title game if you care to look it up. All three highlights are fantastic.
Alabama-Auburn http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1Cp4VH07ns&feature=related
Alabama-Florida http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeYvYYz4VpM
Alabama-Miami http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb5HPqEBwB0&feature=related

#19- Missouri vs. Colorado 1990 "The Fifth Down"- Sadly, this game will be remembered not just for the five downs the Buffs needed to score on their final drive, but the fact that Colorado win impacted the national championship race. Had the Buffs lost, GA Tech would have likely been the undisputed champs. Nevertheless, the game was quite competitive as it was tied 14-14 at halftime and with under 3 minutes remaining, Tigers' QB Kent Kiefer threw his 3rd TD of the day for a 31-27 lead. Playing without their team leader and option QB extraordinaire, Darien Hagan, the Buffs had Charles S. Johnson drive them 15 plays for the winning TD. The fifth down controversy started with Johnson spiking the ball on first-and-goal. On second down, TB Eric Bieniemy gained two yards and the Buffs called timeout, which is when the chain official forgot to mark the next play as 3rd down. Bieniemy got stuffed on the next play and Mizzou tried to stall the game. They refused to get up from the pile and officials had to stop the clock momentarily, which allowed Johnson a chance to spike the ball on what should have been 4th down. Tigers' fans tried to storm the field and tear down the goalposts, assuming they had won, but CU had one last play. Johnson sneaked across the right side on an option keeper. He was hit hard by LB Tom Reiner, but stretched the ball across the goalline, although it's hard to tell whether his knees had hit the ground before or after the ball crossed the plane. Nevertheless, the officials ruled the play a TD, and after a long delay, CU ran out to attempt the extra point, which Johnson simply kneeled. The Buffs' escaped Columbia with a 2-point win and their national title hopes still alive. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQJT8q0MMwQ

#18 Arkansas vs. Tennessee 1998 "He Stumbles and Fumbles"- The 'Hogs had not been a premier play on a national stage since the late 80s with Quinn Grovey at the helm. Their run at the top of the SWC stage ironically ended with a shootout loss to Tennessee in the 1989 Cotton Bowl, and in 1998, with those final two numbers reversed, Arkansas had a chance for revenge in Knoxville as the two undefeated teams met to stake their claim at the national title. However, 'Hogs QB Clint Stoerner only had to muster a single first down when he tripped over his own OL and fumbled the ball to the Vols. The Vols would march downfield for an easy TD and go on to win the national title. "Good ol' Rocky Top, you'll always be home sweet home to me. Good ol' Rocky Top, Rocky Top Tennessee." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_U6yNYEAQo&feature=related

#17 1993 Florida State vs. Notre Dame "The Game of the Century"- This is one of the most important years for two reasons; first of all, it setup the rationale that a team could lose to another team and if they were ranked #1 or #2 at the end of the season, it didn't matter who won the head-to-head matchup. In easily one of the 5 greatest games of their era, FSU got out to an early lead, but the Irish dominated with 2 TD runs by usual DB Jeff Burris and a reverse to little-used FL Adrian Jarrell. The Irish had leads of 24-7 and eventually 31-17 in the 4th, as they caused QB Charlie Ward to have one of his worst games ever, throwing aimless passes into coverage. If it wasn't for 'Noles' TB Warrick Dunn's coming out party, the 'Noles may not have even mounted a late comeback. They scored on a 4th down with 2:26 after an Irish DB lost an INT and it fell into the hands of WR Kez McCorvey. Choosing to kick instead of try an onside kick, the 'Noles got the ball back, but Ward's desperation final pass into the end zone was batted down. However, despite the 31-24 loss, the Seminoles got the last laugh, and the national championship. Pre-Game Intro http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cipJq3ZHuuQ&feature=related
Game Highlights http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEq7D2HTEDQ

#16 SMU vs. Texas Tech "The Miracle Man" Bobby Leach- The Pony Express, led by Eric Dickerson and Craig James were not quite invincible during their multi-year run in the SMU backfield. Nowhere was this more evident than when the Mustangs traveled to Lubbock to take on the lowly Red Raiders in a regular season game in 1982. The Mustangs were heavy favorites, but Texas Tech had managed to keep it close and looked likely to come with a 27-27 tie, effectively ending any national championship hopes for the SMU squad. However, SMU WR Bobby Leach executed a perfect trick play on the final kickoff, taking a lateral 91 yards for a TD to win the game 34-27. It was voted the 3rd greatest moment in SMU football history. As the SMU website mentions, this was the Music City Miracle play, long before anybody ever knew about the Tennessee Titans. Amazingly, I found video and an article. Very lucky to find either, plus John Facenda narrates the video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx1PccepNHQ
Article: http://smumustangs.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/greatest-moments-03.html

#15 USC vs. Ohio State 1980 Rose Bowl Charles White's Day In the Sun- If it wasn't for Tony Dorsett coming along a few years earlier, Charles White would have easily ended his college career as Div I-A's all-time leading rusher. Still, in White's final season, with future 2,000 yard rusher Marcus Allen blocking for him at FB all year, he was able to clinch the Heisman rather easily over Billy Sims of Oklahoma. He had his dominant OL to thank. One player, Brad Budde, would be selected by KC of the NFL in the first round of the following year's draft, while 3 other future NFL stars, Anthony Munoz, Don Mosebar and Bruce Matthews, also made heavy contributions. The latter two were actually freshman. Center Keith Foote, G Roy Foster and T Keith Van Horne also helped make up an indomitable force up front. On defense, LBs Chip Banks and Dennis Johnson were a nice pair of tacklers, but the secondary was loaded with future NFL Pro Bowlers in Joey Browner, Ronnie Lott and Dennis Smith. The Buckeyes didn't have many stars as only sophomore QB Art Schlichter really stood out. Nevertheless, it was to be a thrilling contest and White had an amazing final game as he ran 39 times for 247 yards in the Trojans victory over the Buckeyes, but his team fell short of clinching a share of the national title with Alabama. What made White's day even greater was that when the final drive started with under 6 minutes to play, his team was down 16-10 and needed a TD, so they went to their workhorse. As one of my old videos said, "It was Student Body Right and Student Body Left" as White ran 71 yards on 6 carries, including hurdling over his statuesque OL for the game-winning TD. It took me awhile, but I found video, luckily.
http://www.fandome.com/video/88027/1980-Rose-Bowl/

#14 Washington vs. Michigan 1992 Rose Bowl Huskies Dismantle Howard- Desmond Howard probably had the single greatest season in college football history outside of Barry Sanders' performance in 1988. The national media was all over Howard; his game against Florida State early in the season was a huge matchup against CB Terrell Buckley and it seemed that about 80% of his games were covered by ABC or ESPN, and this was back when college fans didn't have 30 different channels (or more) to choose from. Well, I suppose the 1991 Huskies were tired of hearing about all the hype and chose to take Howard down a notch. Superstar WR Mario Bailey for UW outplayed Howard all game, while All-American DBs Walter Bailey and Dana Hall suffocated Howard, who made 1 reception for 35 yards, had a 15 yard run, and only got 60 yards on returns. It may sound like a decent all-purpose game, but not for a Heisman winner who had flourished under the bright lights all season and ran away with the Heisman in convincing fashion. The Huskies cruised to a 34-14 victory and a share of the national title.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KleZ8Ujqn8&feature=related

#13 Florida vs. Georgia Lindsay Scott Races Towards Immortality- In an improbable season where freshman Herschel Walker quickly became the most dominant player in college football, it was actually 'Dawgs SE Lindsay Scott who became a folk hero. Scott had a troubled past at UGA, with his scholarship being taken away at one point for getting into a shoving match with an academic counselor. Well, I guess all was forgiven when he raced 92 yards for the game-winning TD with under 2 minutes to play after QB Buck Belue found him wide open over the middle. Only looking to secure a first down, Scott took the pass, turned around and headed for the sidelines, probably thinking he would just get out of bounds to save clock. However, after he realized there was no one in front of him or who could catch him from behind, he ran all the way to immortality. The 26-21 win gave them a #1 ranking and the confidence to cruise all the way to the title. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOhWVvsrq5k&feature=fvw

#12 Colorado vs. Michigan The Greatest Hail Mary- I know Doug Flutie's pass against Miami (FL) ten years earlier is much more beloved, and only because he was a midget by the way, but this pass by Kordell Stewart was better than people remember. It takes luck to complete a Hail Mary, so there's no argument that one player got luckier, but Stewart's play was longer and the pass much harder. Also, the comeback for the 'Buffs was great, as they had trailed 26-14 with under 5 minutes when Stewart got the ball back and led a 72-yard scoring drive and failed to recover an onside kick. After a quick pass, Stewart rolled around in the pocket thanks to great protection and launched a pass that traveled over 70 yards in the air and was miraculously caught by Michael Westbrook in the end zone over Ty Law. I guess the one thing Law can look back on is that Westbrook, Stewart and Heisman winner Rashaan Salaam from Colorado were all busts, while he went on to be one of the best cover corners over the next decade in the NFL.
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=3008148
P.S. I had to go to myspace to get this video, shame on you, youtube.

#11 Nebraska vs. Florida State 1994 Orange Bowl Next Year's Champions- It was only fitting that Bobby Bowden and Tom Osborne should square off for the 1993 national title in Miami's Orange Bowl, a place where both coaches had been tortured. In 1992, Bowden's Seminoles had lost for the second straight year on a kick that went wide right. Osborne was 1-5 playing in the Orange Bowl, with three losses coming to the Hurricanes and one the year before to the Seminoles. Led by QB Tommie Frazier, the 'Huskers came in undefeated, but were still slight underdogs. Charlie Ward and FSU had all the hype, including a devastating defense and the "Fast Break" No-huddle offense that tortured every opponent, except Notre Dame. The two teams would go on to play one of the great national title games of all time, but not without controversy. The first quarter was slow with no scoring. However, 'Huskers' SE Corey Dixon did return a punt 71 yards for a TD, but the play came back after a clipping call, despite the fact that every replay from multiple angles showed no such foul was committed. After a short FG by FSU K Scott Bentley, the highly-touted freshman, Frazier responded with a TD pass to WR Reggie Baul. Baul just happened to be in the right place at the right time as the ball was deflected into his welcome hands. The Seminoles got another FG before the half and at the start of the 2nd, Ward quickly drove his team for a TD by FB William Floyd. This was another play that had some controversy as TV replays showed that he may have lost the ball before he crossed the goalline. Nonetheless, a failed 2-point conversion made it 12-7. After another Bentley FG, Osborne had to go to little-known reserve IB Lawrence Phillips after starter Calvin Jones was hurt and backup Damon Benning was ineffective. Phillips scored on a 12-yd run to start the 4th, but another failed 2-pointer made it 15-13. Would Osborne be doomed again by a failed extra point? Frazier again showed his call by starting a drive from his own 20 with under 5 minutes to play and leading his team to a short FG after a 31-yard run of his own. Ward only had 1:16 to save the season. Thankfully for FSU, 'Huskers K Byron Bennett's KO went out of bounds and DB Barron Miles hit Warrick Dunn late to drive the 'Noles into FG range rather quickly. Bentley drilled the FG and it was time to celebrate. However, Frazier had one last chance and responded by drilling a pass to TE Trumane Bell who rumbled for big gain and gave them a chance for a winning FG with :01 left (the clock originally ran out, but officials corrected that Bell's knee was down before time expired). Bennett tried a long, 45-yard FG from a different angle and the kick sailed wide to the left and Bowden had his long-sought national championship. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD4azN7JUxo

#10 Ohio St. vs. USC 1975 Rose Bowl The Rhodes Scholar- Everyone thought this would be a showcase game for the two star RBs that finished 1-2 in the Heisman balloting, Buckeyes' winner Archie Griffin and USC's Anthony Davis. The Trojans were also fresh off a 55-24 pounding of top 5 Notre Dame while the Buckeyes had just dispatched fellow Big 10 unbeaten Michigan. After Trojans QB Pat Haden, the Rhodes Scholar, had thrown 2 INTs to Buckeyes' DB Neal Colzie he went firing back at him one last time. After some nifty running by the Trojans, Haden rolled out and threw a short TD pass to TE Jim Obradovich. Buckeyes' QB Cornelius Greene responded with a long run of his own and a quick pass to Griffin, which set up a 3-yard TD run for Greene. After another OSU field goal, the lead was 17-10 late in the 4th quarter. Haden, who's fumble had helped the Buckeyes score their last three points, came back with a beautiful touchdown pass to the coaches' son, J.K. McKay, from 38 yards out. Trojans' QB Jim McKay had decided to go for the win with a 2-point conversion and trusted his intelligent QB to make the right decision. Haden rolled right and threw a quick strike to Shelton Diggs for an 18-17 lead with little time remaining. Greene thought he could engineer one final drive, but after he was sacked for a huge gain, Buckeyes' K Tom Klaban missed a 62-yd game-winning FG. It was a thrilling moment for college football and one of the few times when a 2-point conversion try didn't backfire. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i99nER5cexI

#9 Colorado 1989 Regular Season Winning for Sal- There have been some great inspirational stories in college football, including John Cappelletti's remarkable run to the 1973 Heisman trophy that was inspired by his brother Joey, who was dying of leukemia. Such events do happen to players off the field, but very rarely does an illness or death affect a team the way Buffs' QB Sal Aunese did Colorado in the fall of 1989. Colorado had a decent football tradition before Aunese arrived, but they hadn't finished in the AP top 20 since 1976 and was only in the top 10 twice since 1953. When Aunese took over in 1987 he guided them to a 7-4 record and led the team in rushing, passing and scoring. The following season, aided by talented TBs Eric Bieniemy and J.J. Flannigan, the Buffs had an outstanding season, but fell behind powerhouse Big 8 schools Oklahoma St., Nebraska and Oklahoma. In 1989 everything changed when Aunese complained of pains in his chest and it was soon revealed that he had stomach cancer. Adding to the drama of losing their star QB, Buffs' coach Bill McCartney had a rowdy team around him, with a Sports Illustrated article detailing how many arrests they had been involved in and how the Boulder Police Department had to keep players' photos on hand to see if they were suspects. With his job getting more stressful by the minute, McCartney didn't even acknowledge publicly until later that his daughter's baby was Aunese's. Most coaches would crumble knowing that their daughter had a baby with one of their own players, but not McCartney. This tragedy allowed the more mobile and talented sophomore, Darien Hagan, to step into the fold. Colorado beat Oklahoma for the first time in Norman since 1965 and were well on their way to a Big 8 crown. All that stood in CU's way was #3 Nebraska on Nov. 4th. The Buffaloes had a tough dispatching the 'Huskers but overcame thanks to some big plays by their stars. Flannigan scored on a 70-yd TD run after a late pitchout by Hagan on an option run and then, after an outstanding return by WR Jeff Campbell (who was great on PRs all night, 3 for 108 yards), Hagan scored a 1-yd TD run before a late FG gave Colorado a 17-14 halftime lead. Flannigan scored on another run in the 3rd quarter and the 'Buffs were able to hold on late for a 27-21 win. Colorado ended their regular season by thrashing Kansas St. 59-11 to earn an Orange Bowl berth and a date with #4 Notre Dame. This run is made even more remarkable when you consider that Aunese died on September 23rd, just before Colorado's 4th game of the season. Aunese's cousin, Junior Seau, also honored him by playing through a broken finger in one game, a constant reminder of how powerful one life can be to many people. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKg7E0tLFU0 Colorado vs. Nebraska http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jboOs9HVBDA

#8 Miami (FL) vs. Ohio State 2002 BCS Title Game- Oh, how quickly we forget. Before USC faced off against Texas for the very-same BCS title, Miami was being touted as one of the all-time great college football teams. The 'Canes had it all; a superstar QB in Ken Dorsey, sure-fire top pick Willis McGahee at RB, a slew of talented WRs, TE Kellen Winslow Jr., a dominating OL, the deepest DL in years at the college level, All-America caliber LBs in DJ Williams and Jonathan Vilma and playmaking safety Sean Taylor. Not counting all of that talent, the team had lost 3 RBs who would start in the NFL (Najeh Davenport, Frank Gore and Clinton Portis), TE Jeremy Shockey, and DBs Phillip Buchanon and Ed Reed. Wow, how could any team that still went undefeated after losing all of that talent be overcome by one team? The win streaks varied from 34 for the 'Canes to 13 for the Buckeyes. OSU relied on a steady passing game featuring Michael Jenkins and DB/WR Chris Gamble, heady QB Craig Krenzel and super freshman Maurice Clarett. The real key though was a defense that was never really tested. The only team to score more than 20 points against them was Texas Tech, but they had merely scored 2 late TD passes to make the final score more respectable at 45-21. The game was a fantastic back-and-forth battle. OSU took a quick lead in the second quarter after Krenzel and Clarett scored on TD runs that made it 14-7. In the 3rd quarter, Clarett made one of the most memorable plays in bowl history; it all started after Krenzel threw an INT in the end zone to S Taylor, who decided to try and make a big play, running the ball out of his own end zone. The plan backfired when Clarett caught him from behind and stripped the ball. The Buckeyes got a FG out of the change of possession and lead 17-7 midway through the 3rd. McGahee responded with a 9-yard TD run and it was 17-14 in the 3rd, but unfortunately, a nasty knee injury forced him out of the game and FB Quadrine Hill into the starting role. Luckily, the 'Canes had a hero as speedy WR Roscoe Parrish had an amazing punt return that setup Todd Sievers' FG on the last play of regulation to force OT. Then, in OT, Dorsey hit Winslow for a 7-yard TD and the lead. The Buckeyes, who had been masters of late-game heroics, needed their QB to come through one last time. Krenzel converted a 4th-and-long and then 'Canes DB Glenn Sharpe was called for pass interference, which was very controversial. It was hard to tell if he really interfered with the receiver and, the flag from the official came in late. Krenzel responded with a short TD run to force a 2nd OT. In the 2nd OT, Clarett spun his way to a 5-yard TD run, but the 'Canes had one last gasp. Dorsey had all the opportunities, getting down to the 1-yard line, but on 4th-and-goal he was rushed and could not get a good pass attempt away. One of the biggest upsets by the most unlikely of champions was complete. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKofox05UVo

#7 Miami (FL) vs. Notre Dame 1988 "Catholics vs. Convicts"- This was a game that had all the hype. Miami was on a 36-game winning streak in the regular season and Notre Dame was on it's way back to national prominence thanks to HC Lou Holtz. After losing to the Irish every year from 1971 to 1980, the 'Canes had a nice streak going against the Irish, winning in 1985 58-7 and in 1987 24-0. 'Canes QB Steve Walsh had also done what his predecessor, Heisman Trophy winning QB Vinny Testaverde could not do, and that was go undefeated and win a national title. With a bevy of great receivers, some talented RBs and a solid defense, Miami was a slight favorite heading into South Bend. Led by versatile QB Tony Rice, speedy FL/RB Rocket Ismail, FL Ricky Watters and RBs Anthony Johnson and Mark Green, the Irish were blowing past opponents left and right even though they had lost Heisman Trophy winner Tim Brown from the year before. Things got heated early on as both teams emotions boiled over when the 'Canes left their locker room and headed out to the field. The two teams met at the north end zone and a melee broke out with both coaches protesting that the other side had attacked the other. Whoever threw the first punch before the kickoff didn't matter as ND's Rice scored first on it with a TD run. After Walsh responded with a TD pass, Rice threw a score of his own and Irish DB Pat Terrell took a pass the other way 60 yards for a score and a 21-7 lead. Walsh responded with two quick TD passes before the half to TBs Leonard Conley and Cleveland Gary. Gary, who would have a great day catching 11 passes for 130 yards, would be involved in the most controversial play of the day. Gary caught a pass and dove for the Irish goalline, but was hit by DB George Streeter, fumbling the ball and allowing Michael Stonebreaker to recover for the Irish. While the 'Canes pleaded for the pass to be ruled incomplete, the ball should have been scored as a TD, as Gary reached the ball over the goalline before it came out. In fact, the ball came loose as it hit the ground. Nevertheless, the 'Canes got one last chance down 31-24 and with time running out. Walsh was forced to make a big play on 4th down, deep in Irish territory, and he did, finding Andre Brown for a TD. This is where Jimmy Johnson decided to go for it all and the win. Walsh had a ton of time on his 2-point attempt, but could find no one open. Then, out of the backfield came Conley who seemed to be wide open in the end zone. However, Walsh tried to float the ball to him and Terrell, who was the hero earlier with his INT return, spiked the ball to the ground to preserve the victory. After an onside kick failed, the Irish ran out the clock for a 31-30 win. Johnson was mad about the final outcome, as were his players, who believed Miami to be the stronger side, but in the end, the Irish won and marched all the way to the Fiesta Bowl where they polished off Major Harris and #2 West Virginia for the national championship. Miami would finish #2. The 'Canes would get some measure of revenge the next year, beating the Irish 27-10 and winning the title, with ND coming in 2nd. Highlights: http://www.veoh.com/browse/videos/category/sports_college_football/watch/v162512535kMSRcHc
CBS intro: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eI5VCbbXM6U&feature=related

#6 Texas vs. Arkansas 1969 and Notre Dame vs. Texas 1970 Cotton Bowl Beating the Odds- UT coach Darrell Royal was fond to say that on a pass play three things can happen, two of which are bad. Well, maybe that's why he warmed to the idea of the wishbone offense that was suggested to him by Emory Bellard. It was originally called the Y formation until a newspaper reporter suggested it be called the Wishbone-T. However the name got there, it was quite a coup for the Longhorns who ran it to near perfection behind QB James Street, FB Steve Worster and HB Jim Bertelsen. The 'Horns also possessed a fantastic defense and their 4-4-3 alignment was giving teams fits. The 'Horns didn't allow over 17 points until their early December showdown with #2 Arkansas, who was led by an outstanding defense and QB Bill Montgomery. The game was actually moved to later in the year by ABC man Roone Arledge, who had forecasted the game would be of significance. Even President Richard Nixon had to show up in Fayetteville to see the big game everyone was talking about. It was a dark day, chilly and gray, but that didn't dampen the home team's enthusiasm. 'Hogs RB Bill Burnett opened the scoring early with a short TD run and at the beginning of the 3rd quarter, after a costly UT fumble, Montgomery pitched a 29-yard TD pass to star wideout Chuck Dicus. Down 14-0, the 'Horns had to make a valiant comeback. Luckily, Street had a few big plays up his sleeve. On a designed pass play, Street dropped back but couldn't find anyone open so he improvised. Darting his way across the field and past 'Hogs defenders, Street found plenty of daylight on a magnificent 42-yard scoring run. Signaling to go for 2 immediately, Royal sent his offense back out and Street inched his way across the goalline. Down 14-8 the 'Horns got the ball back one last time and with just under 5 minutes left to play, Street was faced with a 4th-and-3 and talked things over with his legendary coach. Street thought a counter-option play would work, but Royal abruptly called out for "Right 53 Veer Pass." Street came back to the huddle and told his teammates they would be surprised at the call, but it would work. Dropping back to pass, Street looked and could only find TE Randy Peschel streaking down the sideline, but closely covered by 2 Razorback defenders. Still, Peschel made a near-perfect over-the-shoulder catch inside the 20. Two plays later, Bertelsen scored on a short TD run to make it 15-14 after the XP. The 'Hogs moved their way downfield, but with 1:13 on the clock Montgomery made his biggest mistake, not seeing DB Tom Campbell cut in front of Dicus to make the clinching INT. Nixon would proclaim afterwards that the 'Horns were the national champs which led to Penn St. (who was the only other undefeated team after the regular season) HC Joe Paterno later saying that, "I don't know how Richard Nixon could know so much about college football in 1969 and so little about Watergate in 1972." Nevertheless, Texas still had to go on and beat Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl.

It was the first time in 45 years that the Irish were making a bowl appearance and behind QB Joe Theismann, they had every reason to believe they could win. Theismann led his team to a quick 10-0 lead after a bomb to E Tom Gatewood and the 'Horns had to respond quickly. Eating up clock on the ground, UT eventually scored thanks to Bertelsen and had another opportunity to take the lead just before the half. Royal gambled on 4th-and-inches at the Irish 7 but HB Billy Dale was stuffed as the Irish preserved a 10-7 lead. After trading TDs, the Longhorns would soon go on one of the greatest scoring drives in bowl history. Worster pounded up the middle for plenty of yards on the fateful drive but a 4th-and-2 from the 20 was tricky so Street gave it to HB Ted Koy who got just enough for the first. When it was 4th-and-2 from the 10, Royal again turned to a pass play to save his season and this time it was WR Cotton Speyrer who dove and made a shoe-string catch to save the drive. Replays clearly show he got his hands under the ball and the remarkable catch set up Dale's 1-yard plunge with just over a minute remaining that preserved the Longhorns' undefeated national championship season. Notre Dame would gain some measure of revenge the following season, beating #1 Texas 24-11 in the Cotton Bowl and costing them a 2nd straight national title. Arkansas vs. Texas, 2 clips: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4ux4eqPr9k http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FszLa0AhBxI&feature=related Cotton Bowl, 2 clips: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfT_528BWdU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPJHw4ubVk8&NR=1

#5 Nebraska vs. Oklahoma 1971 "The Game of the Century"- This is the game that, as Chris Fowler once noted, most families around the country scheduled their Thanksgiving dinners around kickoff time. It was so big that 'Huskers coach Bob Devaney decided to fly in pregame meals from Lincoln to make sure his squad wouldn't get food poisoning from any of the local restaurants or cooks. The 'Huskers were loaded most notably along the DL where Rich Glover, the 1972 Lombardi and Outland award winner roamed along with Willie Harper and Larry Jacobson. Harper was a two-time All-American ('71 and '72) while Jacobson won the 1971 Outland trophy. On offense they had Jerry Tagge at QB who was extremely poised and confident throughout his career. That could have been because he had IB Jeff Kinney to hand it off to and 1972 Heisman winner Johnny Rodgers at FL (Rodgers finished 2 spots ahead of Glover in the '72 Heisman voting by the way). On Oklahoma's side they loved to run the football out of the wishbone, which was so nicely donated by Texas Longhorns' coach Darrell Royal to help the Sooners cause. While that sounds unthinkable today, Royal had no problems helping out a friend or colleague back in those days. Anyways, the Sooners were led by QB Jack Mildren, who ran for more yards in 1971 than he passed for. Mildren used his plethora of backfield mates to run wild over the Big 8. HB Greg Pruitt ran for over 1600 yards and scored 17 TDs on the season while FB Leon Crosswhite was also a formidable weapon. Pruitt would finish in the top 3 in Heisman balloting in both 1971 and 1972, finishing just behind Rodgers in '72. And, long before there was Keith Jackson for Jamelle Holieway to throw to, Mildren had SE Jon Harrison, who averaged nearly 30 yards per reception on 17 catches. On defense, Lucious Selmon and Derland Moore were dominant DL. Still, with all of the defensive talent on board, this was poised to be a high-powered shootout. Nebraska struck first on the day as Rodgers made possibly the most famous punt return in college football history. He took the ball at his own 28, was surrounded by Sooner defenders but Pruitt hit him hard and actually spun him around and out of danger. Rodgers took the opening and was off to the races on a 72-yard TD. That helped Nebraska build a 14-3 lead but Mildren rallied his squad with a TD run and a scoring strike to Harrison. Sensing things were slipping away, Tagge went to his bruising back, Kinney, who scored back-to-back TDs and the 'Huskers were up 28-17. That's when Mildren went to work yet again, scoring on a 3-yard run before going to the air to get the lead back. After a methodical 69-yard drive, Harrison caught his second TD of the day, this time from 16 yards out and OU led 31-28. The 'Huskers were stunned but knew what they had to do. Facing a third-and-short, Kinney broke free for a 17-yard gain. However, not long after they faced a third-and-eight, this time forcing Tagge to go to the air, where he found his favorite weapon, Rodgers. Sandwiched between two OU defenders, Rodgers slid to the ground and made a spectacular diving catch to preserve the drive. The 'Huskers continued to pound away until Kinney broke into the end zone from the 2 for a 35-31 lead. Mildren had produced 267 yards rushing and passing, scoring 4 times (2 each through the air and ground), but Kinney was the real star, rushing for 174 yards and 4 TDs on the day. It was easily one of the best offensive battles in history, maybe the best, that is until our number three moment happened. However, we will get there eventually. Rodgers' PR: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLvv3KPNHfY Kinney TD run http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvefB0q3f58&feature=related
Kinney's run gives Nebraska the lead http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGRObEtGXY4&NR=1

#4 Alabama vs. Penn St. 1979 Sugar Bowl "The Stand"- There were not many instances where legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant wouldn't be the favored coach in a New Year's Day bowl game, but this was one of those times. The Nittany Lions featured a slew of All-Americans including Walter Camp and Maxwell Award winning QB Chuck Fusina. Fusina could turn to TB Matt Suhey or FB Booker Moore, who both found plenty of holes behind All-American OT Keith Dorney and if Fusina wanted to pass, he had standout WR Scott Fitzkee. On defense, the Nittany Lions had a strong back 7, but the frontline was where they were strongest with DL Matt Millen and Lombardi Award winner Bruce Clark. For Alabama, they relied on the steady wishbone offense and an outstanding defense. With HB Tony Nathan, FB Billy Jackson and folk hero Major Ogilvie in the backfield, the Crimson Tide were nearly unstoppable on the ground. QB Jeff Rutledge didn't have to throw it often, but when he did, WRs Keith Pugh and Bruce Bolton made the most of their opportunities. On defense, the 5-2 (Oklahoma defense) front alignment caused problems thanks to DL EJ Junior and Marty Lyons and do-it-all LB Barry Krause. In the secondary, DB Don McNeal made plenty of big plays as only Southern Cal could knock off the tide during the regular season. The game was expected to be a defensive battle, not quite the offensive explosion usually featured in famous #1 vs. #2 battles. The game was relatively quiet in the first half until just before halftime when the Nittany Lions assumed they would get the ball back and burned a few timeouts. However, a 30-yard burst by Nathan changed all that and Bryant saw his opportunity. Rutledge made a picture-perfect play-action fake and went to the end zone for a diving Bolton, which stunned the Nittany Lions and their fans. The 30-yard scoring strike opened up the game and gave 'Bama a crucial 7-0 lead. The Nittany Lions could do nothing offensively in the first half, so they used their defense to create a scoring opportunity in the 2nd. After an INT by DB Pete Harris, Fusina marched his troops 48 yards in 5 plays, finishing off the drive with a 17-yard TD pass to Fitzkee, who made a sensational catch, barely getting his tippy toes down in the back of the end zone. The Tide would respond thanks to a big play by HB Lou Ikner, who raced 62 yards with a punt to the PSU' 11. Just a few plays later, Ogilvie took a pitch and bulled over a defender on his way to the end zone. Up 14-7, the Tide just had to hold on to their slim lead. This would lead to one of the greatest goalline stands and perhaps the greatest tackle in bowl history. Fusina found Fitzkee open near the sideline right at the Tide 1-yard line, but McNeal made a diving tackle, forcing him out of bounds, inches from paydirt. The Nittany Lions went straight to Suhey on 3rd down after a timeout, but Tide LB Rich Wingo met him as he tried to dive over the pile. Then, giving the ball to HB Mike Guman, the Nittany Lions were stuffed again, this time by Krauss who made a miraculous stop. According to numerous reports, Paterno wanted to call a play-action fake, but his assistants persuaded him to run the ball up the middle. Ironically, Tide DL Lyons shouted at Fusina that he better pass the ball, truly an iconic moment as the Tide knew exactly what to expect. Krauss would be temporarily knocked unconscious according to some reports, although he did leave the field under his own power. The goalline stand has been forever immortalized in Tuscaloosa and after a late penalty by the Nittany Lions negated a horrendous Tide punt, the clock ran out on Joe Pa and his undefeated season. The Tide would claim a share of the national title, something Paterno acknowledged they rightly deserved after the game. Game highlights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjyPhrNp8tE

#3 USC vs. Texas 2006 Rose Bowl BCS National Title Game "Vince Young Does It Again"- The Longhorns had every reason to be mad going into this title game, but on the other hand, the Trojans had every reason to be cocky. The Trojans may not have been back-to-back BCS champions, but they had won their share of two straight national titles and in the 2005 Orange Bowl destroyed Oklahoma, 55-19 in a showdown of unbeatens. The Trojans had few scares during the 2005 season, although the game at South Bend will long be mired in controversy thanks to the "Bush Push," but that's all in the past. The only other notable encounter came when Reggie Bush amassed 513 all-purpose yards during a wild shootout with Fresno St. in late November. The Longhorns only had a scare when playing at Columbus, as QB Vince Young had to rally with a gorgeous TD pass to Limas Sweed in the back of the end zone for a 25-22 win. The other close game came at Stillwater when the Oklahoma St. Cowboys ran out to a 28-9 lead, but Young and co. kicked it into high gear and cruised for a 47-28 win (UT had outscored OSU 118-0 in the 2nd half of their last 3 meetings at this point, wow). On the final day of the regular season both teams cruised to easy victories in potential trap games; UT escaped the Big XII title game curse by demolishing Colorado 70-3 and USC whooped UCLA 66-19 behind Bush, RB LenDale White and QB Matt Leinart. This setup a great game, but also a wonderful chance for ESPN to hype USC as potentially the greatest college football team of all-time. They would routinely ask experts to pick who would in such all-time matchups between 2005 USC and past national champions. As I can recall, the only consensus as to who they wouldn't beat was 1995 Nebraska. So, with all this hype, what made USC so great? Well, they had the 2004 Heisman winner in Leinart (who came in 3rd in '05), the 2005 Heisman recipient in Bush (who came in 5th in '04) and of course White, the leading TD maker in USC history. When you consider all the great backs White had to pass on his way to setting those marks, it's quite impressive. Bush also won the Doak Walker and Walter Camp awards while Leinart took home the Unitas award for best senior QB. Dwayne Jarrett also received All-America honors at WR and OL Taitusi Lutui was an A-A as well. The defense featured Frostee Rucker and Sedrick Ellis on the DL, while the LBs and DBs were two-deep with loads of talent, present and future. For the Longhorns, Vince Young, the Heisman runner-up, Maxwell and Davey O'Brien award winner was where it all started. He had plenty of time to throw behind A-A Jonathan Scott and when he wasn't passing, he was rushing for over 1,000 yards or handing it off to talented TBs Ramonce Taylor and Jamaal Charles, who combined for 28 TDs. On defense, DL Rodrique Wright and S Michael Huff, also the Thorpe award winner, were both All-Americans. The LB core was solid, as was the DBs, but the real key would be the DL, where Texas knew it had to get great play to stop the Trojans' talented RBs. The game would live up to all the hype. USC started fast as White busted over the goalline for a quick TD, not even three minutes into the game. The Trojans had a chance to pull away early in the 2nd quarter as Leinart fired a deep ball to Bush, but as he was about to be tackled, Bush tried to make a big play by attempting a lateral to WR Brad Walker who didn't expect the pitch. The fumble was recovered by Huff at the 18 and Young led the 'Horns downfield for a FG. Another miscue by the Trojand led to more points for the 'Horns when Michael Griffin intercepted Leinart at the goalline. Young completed a few passes to get UT into the red zone and then lateraled to Selvin Young for a 10-yard TD run. The play was controversial as it appeared on replay that V. Young's knee was down before he pitched it at the 12, but the replay monitors in the booth were out of order, so no replay could be assessed. After a Trojans' punt, the 'Horns got the ball in great field position and Taylor scored on a big run from 30 yards out to make it 16-7 UT. After a Trojans' FG, it was 16-10 at the half, which seemed rather quiet, but there was still plenty to come. It didn't take long after the half for White to give USC the lead one more time as he scored on a short TD run. V. Young responded with an 80-yard scoring drive of his own, which he capped off himself with a 14-yard TD run. Another long, Trojans' drive ended with yet another White scoring burst, this time from 12 yards away and USC was back on top again, 24-23. With the lead and smelling blood, Heisman winner Bush took his chance to wow the NFL scouts with a sensational TD run from 26 yards out that he finished off by somersaulting into the end zone. The spectacular play gave USC new life, and after UT could only muster a FG, the Trojans tried to put the game away as Leinart threw a scoring strike to Jarrett. Up 38-26 with over six-and-a-half minutes remaining, the 'Horns needed a hero and V. Young came to the rescue. It only took about two-and-a-half minutes as Young was 5-for-6 on the key drive passing for 44 yards and rushing for 25 more, including the 17-yard TD run to cut the lead to 38-33. The Trojans got the ball back and scored a quick first down, then handed the keys to White, but after an incomplete pass, White was stopped two yards short on 3rd down. Facing a key 4th-and-2 with time winding down, USC coach Pete Carroll made the decision to go for the first down and the win. He knew he had to keep the ball away from V. Young and White, who had been punishing the 'Horns D all night, was the man to get the ball, but he came up just inches short. Young slowly marched his way downfield as USC committed a foolish turnover when a facemask was called after 'Horns WR Quan Cosby was stopped well short of a first down after a third down completion. Young ran for a few yards and completed two passes to little-known Brian Carter to get the ball down to the 13. After a short scramble and two incompletions, Young faced a 4th-and-8 for the national championship. USC decided to blitz Young but it was of no use as he scrambled for the right pylon, making the goalline easily. With a QB draw for another 2 points, UT led 41-38 with little time left and the Trojans could not come back to tie the game and even force OT. The 'Horns had escaped one of the great shootouts in all of college football. White ran for 124 yards and 3 TDs while Bush totaled 279 yards and a TD all-purpose. Leinart was also efficient, throwing 29-of-40 for 365 yards and one score, but a very costly INT as well. With 574 yards of total offense, USC actually outgained the 'Horns, but that didn't matter too much since they didn't have Vince Young. Young would have an outstanding day, going 30-for-40 for 267 yards through the air and rushing 19 times for 200 yards and three scores. It was a fantastic way to end a dramatic 2005 college football season, easily one of the greatest national title games of all-time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEUZQMQSgKY&feature=related

#2 Miami (FL) vs. Nebraska 1984 Orange Bowl An Unexpected Classic- This was to be one of those nights where the kings of college football, the dominant 'Huskers, would proudly accept their coronation as one of the great teams of all-time. They weren't necessarily the most well-rounded team, they had a fine defense and all, but how good do you have to be when you average 52 points a game? The 'Huskers looked fine and dandy on paper, but even their wins over mediocre competition were rather hollow. A 44-6 blowout of defending national champion Penn St. in the first-ever Kickoff Classic seems impressive, but all of the Nittany Lions' best players had left the year before. A tough 14-10 win over Oklahoma St. was a key victory, but the best Cowboys would finish was 8-4 as they struggled to make the Bluebonnet Bowl. Even the annual rivalry game with Oklahoma lost some of it's luster, although that doesn't diminish the 'Huskers first win at Owen Field under Tom Osborne's tenure. When they weren't sputtering against their rivals from down south, Nebraska was racking up point totals of 56 (Wyoming), 84 (Minnesota), 63 (Syracuse), 69 (Colorado), 51 (Kansas St.), 72 (Iowa State) and 67 (Kansas). Very impressive stuff. One of the main weapons for the 'Huskers was wingback Irving Fryar whose receiving yardage total doubled that of the best WRs on the team. QB Turner Gill, an All-American and Heisman finalist, lit up squads for 14 TD passes and 11 scoring runs. However, the real star of the show was RB Mike Rozier, who set numerous records, rushing for 2,148 yards, the most of any back besides Marcus Allen of USC. His 29 TDs were also an incredible number and he owed his success largely to hulking OL Dean Steinkuhler, who was A-A as well as the Outland and Lombardi award winner. Rozier's overall TD record broke Johnny Rodgers' long-standing mark and his amazing 7.8 yards per carry average for the season still has not been topped. The defense didn't produce any All-Americans, but as noted earlier, who really needed them anyways? On the other side of the ball, the Miami (FL) Hurricanes had a balanced offense led by QB Bernie Kosar, WR Eddie Brown, TE Glenn Dennison and the underrated Stanley Shakespeare. When it came to running the football, the 'Canes could rely on HBs Ray Bentley, Keith Griffin or super freshman Alonzo Highsmith. On the defensive side of the ball, DL Kevin Fagan and Julio Cortes and DBs Eddie Williams and Ken Calhoun were of the bend, but don't break mold. It didn't matter who was on defense in the opening week when rival Florida destroyed Miami 28-3, but in the next 10 weeks Miami never allowed more than 17 points. However, one problem stood in the way of Miami's national championship dreams. They came into the bowl season ranked #5, so it would take an inordinate amount of upsets to jump all the way to #1. Well, things fell into place for the 'Canes as #2 Texas fell to #7 Georgia 10-9 in the Cotton Bowl while #4 Illinois was decimated by unranked UCLA, 45-9, in the Rose Bowl. The #3 team in the country, the Auburn Tigers, could barely escape #8 Michigan in the Sugar Bowl, 9-7, so the door was flung wide open for a possible title. The 'Canes started off the game fast with Kosar firing TD passes to Dennison (2 and 22 yards respectively) and after a long FG, it was 17-0. The 'Huskers were stunned, as they had played very few close games throughout the season, and clearly, the option is not meant to be a hurry-up or come-from-behind offense. It took a bit of trickery for the 'Huskers to finally get on the board as coach Osborne called for the "fumblerooskie" a designed fumble that was picked up by Steinkuhler. The big man rambled 19 yards for a TD and just a few minutes before the half, Gill snuck the ball in from a yard out to make it 17-14. After a short FG tied the game just after halftime, the 'Canes answered with a powerful ground game. First, Highsmith went up over the pile for a 1-yd TD run and before the 3rd quarter was done, Bentley had sprinted his way in from 7 yards out. Now down 31-17, the 'Huskers had to pass a little bit more and save their season. Then, the 'Huskers suffered a huge loss before the 4th quarter began as Rozier was on the bench with an ankle injury. His contribution, 147 yards up to that point, would be sorely missed, but nevertheless, backup IB Jeff Smith scored on a 1-yd TD that capped a 76-yard drive. After a missed FG would have put the game out of reach, the 'Huskers had less than 2 minutes to save the game. One of the key plays on this classic drive was a bullet from Gill to the speedy Fryar, who nearly broke free and went all the way for a TD. Facing a first down with little time remaining, Osborne ran the ball and then went straight for the endzone but Fryar dropped a wide open TD pass. After another incompletion, facing 4th-and-8, Osborne kept it on the ground as Gill waited until the last second on an option play before pitching it to Smith, who went all the way for a TD. Osborne immediately decided to go for 2, but rather than waiting for a great opening, Gill forced a quick pass to Smith, that was behind him, and the 'Canes Calhoun knocked it away. After a failed onside kick the 'Canes ran out the clock and gave Howard Schnellenberger his first national title. Little could people expect that the 'Canes, who were huge underdogs coming in, would become the nation's bad boys under Jimmy Johnson and Dennis Erickson, and that it would take Osborne 11 more years before he got his first title. 1st half: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-EDPjwgRjo&feature=related 2nd half: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13iVmvmyuy0&feature=related

#1 Nebraska vs. Florida 1996 Fiesta Bowl "The Greatest of All-Time"- It was a dream match-up; the Bowl Alliance, established a few years earlier by multiple conferences to produce a true #1 vs. #2 national championship game had worked in 1992 when Miami (FL) faced off against Alabama. The following year, things were a bit muddier when Florida St. got the nod to face undefeated Nebraska in the Orange Bowl despite West Virginia being undefeated. Still, the Florida Gators salvaged things by destroying the Mountaineers 41-7 and let a somewhat undisputed national champion reign. Then, in 1994, Penn St. remained undefeated, so despite the 'Huskers claims after the New Year of an undisputed national championship things were still a little unclear. However, in 1995, two teams, neither of which came from the Pac-10 or Big Ten since they were not apart of the alliance, remained undefeated and setup a showdown for the real national title. The newcomers were the Florida Gators, #2 in the country and proud possessors of a devastating offense. If they wanted to run the ball they would simply follow Ts Jason Odom, All-American, or Mo Collins or outstanding Gs Donnie Young or Reggie Green. Coach Steve Spurrier didn't often like to run the ball, but he would let his talented triplets, Elijah Williams, Fred Taylor or Terry Jackson, carry the ball from time to time, which they did effectively for over 1900 yards combined. However, as with all teams coached by Spurrier, the passing game was the showcase. QB Danny Wuerffel was in fine form all year, throwing for a career-high 64.6% and over 3200 yards. His main targets were Chris Doering and Ike Hilliard, both of whom would go over 1,000 yards receiving on the season. In Doering's final season he would eclipse the school and SEC career records with 31 TD receptions. Backing those two studs up were Jacquez Green and Reidel Anthony, who would become key weapons during the Gators race for the 1996 national title. Hilliard and Anthony would both be All-Americans in 1996. As a matter of fact, this little quartet makes up four of the top eight career receiving yardage holders in UF history, so not too shabby. On defense, the Gators were not quite as talented, but a strong DL that went two deep at every position was a fine start. Ben Hanks and Dexter Daniels were also outstanding LBs who had started for 3 straight years while DBs Anthone Lott, Fred Weary and Lawrence Wright could shut down almost any opposing offense. Wright would even win the Thorpe Award as the nation's best DB in 1996. As for the defending national champions, the Nebraska Cornhuskers, well this may have been the deepest squad in college football history. Starting at QB, they possessed Tommie Frazier, one of the ultimate weapons, and despite all the people who will defend Eric Crouch, Tagge or Gill, he was the greatest QB in Nebraska history, as evidenced by his taking 3 straight teams to bowl games with undefeated records. Frazier would tun for over 600 yards with 14 TDs while also passing for 17 TDs and 1300+ yards. His backup was the 'Husker legend, Brook Berringer, who subbed in for Frazier when he was injured during the 1994 season. At WR, Reggie Baul was a dependable weapon, as was WB Clester Johnson, the 'Huskers leading receiver, and TE Mark Gilman. At the IB slot, Ahman Green and Lawrence Phillips were extra-special, combining for over 1600 yards and averaging over 7 yards per carry between them. Even the 3rd-stringer, Damon Benning, had been a solid contributor for a few years. The heart and soul however, was the offensive line. Led by future two-time All-American Aaron Taylor at G and Ts Eric Anderson and Chris Dishman and C Aaron Graham, the 'Huskers averaged an amazing 400 yards rushing per game with 51 TDs and over 7 yards per carry, no matter who ran the ball. While the offense was #1 in the country with an average of 52 points per game, the scoring defense was #4 allowing just 13.6 per game. The rushing defense was just as remarkable, allowing only 6 TDs on the ground, which was best in the nation, and only 78 yards per game. The defense was star-studded thanks to Grant Wistrom and Jared Tomich (12 sacks) on the outside and Christian Peter and Jason Peter on the inside of the defensive line. At LB, the 'Huskers could go as many as 3-deep, but the real stars were Terrell Farley and Jay Foreman. Farley did a fine job by leading the team in tackles and also scoring 2 TDs on INT returns. In the secondary, Tyrone Williams, Michael Booker and Mike Minter led a strong group that contained a few high-powered offenses during the season. Kansas, Kansas St. and Colorado would all win 10 games, so it's not like the 'Huskers faced cupcakes during their Big 8 run. Coming into the game, there was a ton of controversy regarding Phillips, who was arrested during the season for assaulting his girlfriend, but Osborne believed the kid who had a troubled upbringing, would be worse in the long run if the university took away the one thing that mattered to him. Also, the oddsmakers had UF as slight favorites, despite the 'Huskers being the defending champs. Onto the game...

The game started off quickly as the Gators rolled downfield for a FG, but the 'Huskers responded with a long drive and a beautiful TD pass from Frazier to Phillips. After a turnover by the 'Huskers, Wuerffel appeared to be leading the Gators to victory by sneaking the ball into the endzone from a yard out for a 10-6 lead. However, once the 2nd quarter began, things went downhill for the Gators and fast. First, Phillips broke numerous tackles on his way to a 42-yard TD and a lead Nebraska wouldn't relinquish. The 'Huskers then blitzed Wuerffel deep in his own end and LB Jamel Williams sacked him for a safety. After a long run by Frazier got the 'Huskers deep into UF territory, Green scored a TD to make it 22-10. It wasn't close to being over. Wuerffel made a costly mistake and DB Booker stepped in front for a 43-yd INT return for a TD. The Huskers' K Kris Brown kicked a FG to make it 35-10 before the half. Late in the 3rd quarter, Frazier would execute a perfect QB draw thanks to some fine blocking, scoring from 35 yards out. The most memorable play of the game, and I think of all-time, came late in the 3rd quarter when Frazier took an option and headed upfield, breaking 7 tackles on his way to a 75-yard TD. As a matter of fact, he had eluded so many defenders that he looked back after he had broken free to make sure the play had not been called dead. You could even see his grin peering out from behind his facemask, as even he couldn't believe he was capable of such a run. A Hilliard receiving TD had at least made things a little less harsh for the Gators as the score stood at 49-18 to end the 3rd. Phillips would another nice TD run in the 4th, followed by a 1-yard sneak from Berringer. The final would stand at 62-24 as the 'Huskers compiled an all-bowl record of 524 yards rushing and 29 points in the second quarter. Frazier would run 16 times for 199 yards and 2 TDs while Phillips had 25 carries for 165 yards and 2 scores, including a receiving TD. The Gators were embarrassed, rushing for -28 yards and being overmatched from the get-go. Only Army's 48-0 win over Notre Dame in 1948 was a large margin of victory in a #1 vs. #2 matchup all-time. The Cornhuskers didn't just finish off a perfect season, but they were a perfect storm of devastating defense, high-powered offense and an amazing coaching staff who was ready for anything Spurrier's "Fun 'n' Gun" offense had queued up. This was a dominant performance by arguably the greatest team in college football history. Frazier's run, and the total domination by everyone involved, help make it the greatest college football moment I've ever seen. Frazier "The Run" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LNIWaYNJZI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VojVTyYWGds&feature=related

Thanks for reading, I hoped all the youtube links worked and you enjoyed. Feel free to comment or add insight and any more stories you may have. Take care.

2009-07-07T01:25:00.000-07:00

Defenses probably won't make or break your entire fantasy season. As a matter of fact, it is ALWAYS the last thing I draft and there's an easy, obvious reason for it; they can't always be trusted. Even the defending national champs from last year, LSU, had plenty of bad outings. There's no more defenses like the ones Washington had in 1991 and Alabama in 1992. Florida was good, but they also struggled against Ole Miss, so it's not like you could bank on them every week. This is all about match-ups and that's why you have me here. I'll break down the best matchups where a team should have a dominant advantage against the other team's offense. We'll go week-by-week with no analysis, sorry.

Week 1: TENNESSEE vs. Western Kentucky, FLORIDA vs. Charleston Southern, IOWA vs. Northern Iowa, TEXAS vs. ULM, KANSAS vs. Northern Colorado, BOSTON COLLEGE vs. Northeastern, GA TECH vs. Jacksonville St., USC vs. San Jose St., USF vs. Wofford

Week 2: FLORIDA vs. Troy, ALABAMA vs. Florida International, ILLINOIS vs. Illinois St., OKLAHOMA vs. Idaho St., FLORIDA ST. vs. Jacksonville St., N.C. STATE vs. Murray St., ARIZONA vs. Northern Arizona, USF vs. Western Kentucky

Week 3: TCU vs. Texas St., ALABAMA vs. North Texas, PENN ST. vs. Temple, WISCONSIN vs. Wofford, N.C. STATE vs. Gardner-Webb, WAKE FOREST vs. Elon, USF vs. Charleston Southern, TCU vs. Texas St.

Week 4: TENNESSEE vs. Ohio, AUBURN vs. Ball St., OKLAHOMA ST. vs. Grambling St., BAYLOR vs. Northwestern St., USC vs. Washington St., CONNECTICUT vs. Rhode Island

Week 5: IOWA vs. Arkansas St., VA TECH vs. Duke, GEORGIA TECH vs. Mississippi St., USF vs. Syracuse, BYU vs. Utah St., BOISE ST. vs. UC Davis, SOUTH CAROLINA vs. S.C. State

Week 6: PENN ST. vs. Eastern Illinois, MIAMI (FL) vs. Florida A&M, RUTGERS vs. Texas Southern, BUFFALO vs. Gardner-Webb, NORTHWESTERN vs. Miami (OH)

Week 7: MICHIGAN vs. Delaware St., TCU vs. Colorado St., MIAMI (FL) vs. UCF, TEMPLE vs. Army, ALABAMA vs. South Carolina, LOUISIANA TECH vs. New Mexico St.

Week 8: KENTUCKY vs. ULM, TROY vs. North Texas, SOUTHERN MISS vs. Tulane, LSU vs. Auburn, OREGON vs. Washington, FLORIDA vs. Mississippi St.

Week 9: OHIO STATE vs. New Mexico St., CLEMSON vs. Coastal Carolina, TROY vs. ULM, TCU vs. UNLV, LSU vs. Tulane, LOUISVILLE vs. Arkansas St.

Week 10: AUBURN vs. Furman, FLORIDA vs. Vanderbilt, GEORGIA vs. Tennessee Tech, KENTUCKY vs. Eastern Kentucky, TROY vs. WKU, MISSISSIPPI vs. Northern Arizona, TCU vs. San Diego St.

Week 11 (Playoffs for Fantasy): MINNESOTA vs. South Dakota St., ARMY vs. VMI, PENN ST. vs. Indiana, FLORIDA vs. South Carolina, BOISE ST. vs. Idaho, LSU vs. Louisiana Tech

Week 12 (Championship for Fantasy): FLORIDA vs. Florida International, FLORIDA ST. vs. Maryland, ALABAMA vs. Chattanooga, MIAMI (FL) vs. Duke, TCU vs. Wyoming, TENNESSEE vs. Vanderbilt,

Top 25 Fantasy TEs

2009-07-03T20:16:00.000-07:00

Ever since Ken McAfee of Notre Dame broke new ground for tight ends in the mid-70s by making it into the Heisman race, the position has been a coveted position for teams with pro-set offenses and teams looking for more options in the red zone. BYU revolutionized the position shortly thereafter thanks to big-time yardage gainers Clay Brown, Gordon Hudson and Chris Smith. Other teams have produced outstanding TEs, Carlester Crumpler Jr. of East Carolina, Pete Mitchell of Boston College (almost 2,400 yards), and others who won the newly created Mackey Award, given to the nation's best tight end. This year should be an outstanding season for tight ends and if you can get an elite one early, you will definitely have an advantage over the other players/teams in your league. Let's get to it.

1. Jermaine Gresham, Oklahoma- With only one experienced WR returning alongside him and a fantastic QB to get him the ball, Gresham should have plenty of yards and TDs. The offense won't be as high-powered this year, but he'll still do great.
2. Dennis Pitta, BYU- Unlike Gresham, Pitt has ZERO great WRs to take away his receiving opportunities. He'll get plenty of his numbers while in the red zone. He should get a 1,000 yards again easy, probably 10+ TDs.
3. Cody Slate, Marshall- Slate missed a few games last year, so his receiving totals could have been much better. He should be healthy this year and have big numbers due to the offensive system he's in.
4. Rob Gronkowski, Arizona- There are a lot of good WRs around and two talented RBs to take away his productivity, but with a new QB comes a reliance on safety valves, and Gronkowski is one of the best. When the wideouts are covered, he'll be a nice big target across the middle for new starting QB Matt Scott.
5. DJ Williams, Arkansas- With QB Ryan Mallett on board, the Razorbacks offense should be in high gear this season and that means good things for this talented TE.
6. Ed Dickson, Oregon- Considering the QB'ing carousel the Ducks went on last season, it's amazing he had as good a numbers as he did. They can only go up with the loss of 2 good WRs and the fact he'll have more time to gel with Masoli.
7. Aaron Hernandez, Florida- He became an effective weapon for Tebow in the bowl game last season and has become one of his favorite targets recently, especially with the development of that famed "jump pass" Tebow loves to throw near the goalline.
8. Jamie McCoy, Texas A&M- He was a fantastic find for QB Jerrod Johnson last season and became a man of great importance in certain fantasy leagues (especially considering he helped to keep me undefeated). He should be even better this season as a full-time starter.
9. Garrett Graham, Wisconsin- I don't trust Graham this much as he has plenty of risk/reward possibilities. The QB position is not very stable even though he could produce big numbers. Pick him and beware.
10. Richard Dickson, LSU- If Jordan Jefferson takes over as the full-time starter, then I think Dickson could be an invaluable weapon near the goalline.
11. Greg Boone, VA Tech- He can be a decent runner when the Hokies choose to use him and is also a huge target in every respect. He has the potential for a massive season, it all depends on the erratic Tyrod Taylor.
12. Mike McNeill, Nebraska- Without a reliable starting QB, who knows if McNeill will be as productive this season. However, he is the best returning weapon among the wideouts, so keep an eye on his numbers throughout the year.
13. Tony Moeaki, Iowa- I think without Shonn Greene at TB, the Hawkeyes passing numbers will go up a bit this season and Moeaki will be a huge benificiary.
14. Charlie Gantt, Michigan St.- If Keith Nichol takes over as the starter, then the passing numbers might go down because he's a great runner. Thanks to a bunch of talented returning WRs, his numbers may be a bit suspect.
15. Jason Harmon, Florida Atlantic- Rusty Smith is a QB, so I think Harmon's numbers will be outstanding. He had a good 2007 and was out last season, but he should return in good shape and ready to put up outstanding stats.
16. Andrew Quarless, Penn St.- All of QB Daryll Clark's talented WRs are gone, so we shall see how much Quarless can benefit, especially in the red zone. I don't think the offense will do quite as well this season, so he's a risky pick.
17. Anthony McCoy, USC- If you've noticed, head coaches who have NFL coaching experience place an emphasis on finding good TEs and Pete Carroll is a natural at doing that. McCoy should have good numbers, but not great.
18. Jeron Mastrud, Kansas St.- There's no really great QB left, but the offense is high-octane and loves to pitch the ball around, so Mastrud should get his no matter what happens. Also, with a JUCO transfer at QB, the transfer shouldn't take as long as it normally would.
19. Ryan Moya, UCLA- The Bruins were awful passing the ball last season, throwing a ton of picks, but Moya still had outstanding numbers. Assuming someone even halfway decent steps forward he'll put up even better numbers in terms of yards and TDs (600+ and 7+ I'd guess).
20. Ben Guidugli, Cincinnati- The Bearcats love to pass so watch out for this multi-talented converted QB. If stud WR Marcus Barnett does get moved over to CB, as is expected, then Ben should have vastly improved numbers.
21. Blaine Irby, Texas- If Colt McCoy can even produce 2/3 of the numbers he had last season, then Irby should have a very good season. He got hurt last year early in the season, which took away one of McCoy's favorite targets, but be rest assured McCoy will remember who he is in the fall.
22. Terrance Williams, San Jose St.- Here is a good TE surrounded by a QB who struggles a lot and a running game that can never get on track. I would hope he has improved numbers this season, but I wouldn't bet the house on it.
23. Kyle Efaw, Boise St.- Here is a player who can only benefit from QB Moore's maturity as a sophomore. Boise generally loves to use their TEs, so this is always a good bet.
24. Josh LeDuc, Eastern Michigan- Andy Schmitt is a QB who loves to sling the ball around and if he can't find Jacory Stone, he'll go to his safety valve, Mr. LeDuc, one of the best pass-catching TEs around. He could have outstanding numbers, a real sleeper pick.
25. Kyle Rudolph. Notre Dame- This would be a good pick only because I think Notre Dame will really sling the ball around all over the field with Clausen calling the signals and taking the naps. However, I fear stud WRs Floyd and Tate may take away the majority of TDs, so that's not good for fantasy owners.

Top 65 Fantasy WRs

2009-07-01T01:19:00.000-07:00

College football wide receivers sure have evolved over the years. Some smaller schools back in the day, such as Tulsa and San Diego St., had a much more modern passing game and thus put up huge scoring numbers. While at least half the country went to the Wishbone offense that was developed by Emory Bellard and others, these teams threw the ball all over the place. Quarterbacks such as Mark Herrmann of Purdue, Jim McMahon and Ty Detmer of BYU, Doug Flutie of BC and Alex Van Pelt of Pitt all turned out huge passing yardage numbers thanks to high-octane offenses. However, the greatest of success may have developed in the Southwest, where Andre Ware of Houston put up such spectacular passing numbers of 1989 that he won the Heisman despite not playing once on national TV. Then, the Klingler boys, David and Jimmy, had good numbers at Houston, while SMU revitalized it's program with Mike Romo passing the ball to SB Jason Wolf, who holds the SWC record for receptions with 235. Maybe even more impressive, during Ware's Heisman campaign, his favorite target, Manny Hazard, had 142 receptions in 11 games!! That's almost 13 receptions a game. Anyways, thanks to the run 'n' shoot, which eventually evolved into the modern spread offense and quick passing games employed at Texas Tech, Purdue and Missouri. Even Rice got caught up in the passing frenzy after flexbone head coach Ken Hatfield left the program a few years ago and developed superstar WR Jarrett Dillard. Well, now there are more good WRs than ever, and with Michael Crabtree leaving early for the NFL draft, it's up for grabs as to who is #1. Let's get to the list.

1. Dezmon Briscoe, Kansas- I think this is the safest pick in the WR section, even with competition from teammate Kerry Meier for catches. Todd Reesing will throw plenty of yards and TDs and Briscoe will benefit. The Big 12 North is pretty weak and Duke, Northern Colorado and UTEP won't provide much resistance either.
2. Dez Bryant, Oklahoma St.- Thanks to QB Zac Robinson's preference for finding him all over the field, Bryant will have gigantic numbers. No other WR will take away opportunities. Houston, Rice, Grambling St., Iowa State and Texas Tech should see him soar to big numbers.
3. Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati- If Marcus Barnett does move primarily to DB, then Gilyard will be the go-to guy. If Barnett stays, then they will form probably the best receiving combo east of Dallas. SE Missouri St., Miami (OH) and Fresno St. make for easy target dates.
4. Aldrick Robinson, SMU- Whether you get Robinson or Sanders, you'll be happy. Bo Levi Mitchell should only improve this season and these two will both benefit. I think only TCU and East Carolina will provide challenges for these two game-breakers. I expect even better numbers from these two and they combined for 126 rec., 2005 yds and 20 TDs last season.
5. Emmanuel Sanders, SMU- See Robinson.
6. Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma- He has an All-American TE challenging him for catches and two dynamic RBs to take away yards, but you know with Bradford's ability he'll get plenty of opportunities for big plays. Texas and Miami (FL) are the only tough defenses on tap.
7. Detron Lewis, Texas Tech- Taylor Potts should do just fine at QB and with Michael Crabtree leaving early, someone has to pick up the slack and he'll be the man. Good combination of possession receiver and deep threat. OU and Texas are the only scares defensively in 2009.
8. DeAndre Brown, Southern Miss- Assuming he returns with no ill effects from that horrific injury in the bowl game, he is the premier deep threat in the country. Also, he has size to score in the red zone. Maybe Kansas, Louisville and East Carolina will challenge him, but not a whole lot.
9. Tyrone Carrier, Houston- He's small, but he can do it all. Patrick Edwards and LJ Castille might take away some yards, but when your QB throws for 4,500-5,000 yards, who cares, you'll still get yours. No real tough defenses on the schedule besides Southern Miss.
10. Ryan Wolfe, UNLV- This would be a risky pick if it weren't for the fact that the Rebels have no running game and QB Omar Clayton loves to look for Wolfe on every play. Utah and TCU might be tough opposition, but the Utes lose a lot of talent, so he could put up big numbers.
11. Golden Tate, Notre Dame- Coach Charlie Weis loves to throw the ball and should really unleash QB Jimmy Clausen, which means who knows how many yards Tate and counterpart Michael Floyd could put up. Michigan, USC and BC will be rough, but he should still contribute.
12. Greg Salas, Hawaii- Well, the Warriors haven't gone far away from the offense June Jones installed when he was coach. The passing game may not be as prolific, but with a starting QB finally settled upon, Salas should do well. Boise St. is the only good defense on the schedule.
13. Antonio Brown, Central Michigan- I think QB Dan LeFevour will be healthier in this his senior season, so that can only mean good things for Brown. Even with Bryan Anderson around, he'll produce big-time. Only Michigan St. and BC will be a major challenge.
14. Jordan Shipley, Texas- I think with Quan Cosby gone, Shipley will be even more of a factor in the red zone and all over the field. QB Colt McCoy may not do as well as he did in 2008, but Shipley will be great as always. Only Oklahoma is a proven factor defensively.
15. Naaman Roosevelt, Buffalo- There's no proven QB to get him the ball, but with only Pittsburgh and Temple being even average defensively, Roosevelt should get 1,000 yards easily. Hopefully for fantasy owners he will come close to the 1,400 yards and 13 TDs of '08.
16. Kris Adams, UTEP- This player is high because of all the TDs he caught last season and with no great RB around, QB Trevor Vittatoe may have to throw even more this season. Even if Jeff Moturi is on the other side, he will be quite productive. Only Kansas and Texas stands in the way of a great season statistically.
17. Jacory Stone, Eastern Michigan-
18. Kerry Meier, Kansas-For some reason, the Eagles just don't throw the ball that much. On the other hand, why would they with Stone at WR and Andy Schmitt under center? Michigan seems to be the only top-notch defense he faces, however, EMU has lots of road games, so beware.
19. Eric Decker, Minnesota- Decker does have to face Penn St. and Ohio St. on the road, but every other team is quite vulnerable. Adam Weber is a stud at QB and newcomer Hayo Carpenter should take the pressure off of Decker, who has already had a nice career.
20. Edward Britton, Texas Tech-Counterpart Tramain Swindall could fit in this spot just as easily, but Britton has more experience. It's important to note that even the 2nd best WR on Texas Tech will produce more than 90% of other team's #1 WR.
21. Cortez Gent, Florida Atlantic- Rusty Smith will get him the ball early and often and without much of a running game, 1,000 yards is a given. Jason Harmon is back at TE, so that will help too. Nebraska and South Carolina will be tough to start with, but then things get much easier.
22. Juan Nunez, Western Michigan- With Jamarko Simmons and others gone, Nunez should be the man and develop a quick relationship with QB Tim Hiller. If the running game continues to be effective, he'll put up big numbers. Only Michigan and Michigan St. will pose a threat.
23. Marcus Anderson, New Mexico St.- The Aggies will need to have a new QB develop quickly if Anderson is to fulfill his All-American potential. No other receivers pose a threat to take away receptions and the only good defense he will face is Boise St.
24. Carlos Singleton, Memphis- With Arkelon Hall back at QB and no standout WR to challenge him, Singleton should be a dangerous weapon, especially in the red zone. I predict a fantastic season despite Tennessee, Southern Miss and East Carolina on the schedule.
25. Toren Dixon (or Corbin Smiter), Rice- There are two good WRs left at this program, but without an accurate QB, their numbers could suffer a lot. However, with the way the offense is programmed, they should produce near 1,000 yards. The two challenges will be when they face Vanderbilt and East Carolina, two strong defenses.
26. James Rodgers, Oregon St.- Not only could he catch a ton of passes, but he will get good yardage on flanker sweeps. He's a dangerous weapon with a good supporting cast and with only USC on the schedule, he will be even more productive this season.
27. Jacoby Ford, Clemson- The Tigers should have a competent enough QB to get Ford the ball and he should produce plenty of yards and TDs. With James Davis gone, he will get more touches. With BC, TCU, Florida St. and GA Tech around the schedule won't be easy, but it's not too bad.
28. Damaris Johnson, Tulsa- Jacob Bower will fit nicely at QB, and with this dynamic offense, Johnson will get his yardage no matter what. Playing at Oklahoma and Southern Miss will be tough road tests, and home dates with Boise St. and East Carolina aren't particularly easy either.
29. Terrell Turner, Arizona-This is a risky pick only if Matt Scott doesn't develop as an accurate passer. Even with two good RBs, another good WR and Rob Gronkowski at TE, Turner will put up good numbers. Only Iowa and USC will be particularly strong opposition.
30. Brandon Banks, Kansas St.- Only road dates with Oklahoma and UCLA should derail him from having a great season. Breaking in a new QB won't help him much either, but he should have a season, especially with Deon Murphy gone.
31. Kendall Wright, Baylor- If Griffin keeps progressing as a smart and accurate QB, then Wright should improve in every area; receptions, yards and TDs. Texas and OU will be tough, as will Wake Forest, but the Demon Deacons do lose Alphonso Smith, so they may not be as challenging.
32. Jeff Moturi, UTEP- With Trevor Vittatoe being an outstanding QB, there's room for both Adams and Moturi in this draft. Moturi still had plenty of TDs last season and his yardage should be better with more experience playing in the system.
33. TY Hilton, Florida International- It will be nearly impossible for Hilton to match last year's yards per catch average, but he will be a star yet again. His value is hurt because CBS sports doesn't count KR/PR. Going to Alabama and Florida won't help his stats, but he'll do fine.
34. Tim Brown, Rutgers- The new QB won't be half as good as Mike Teel, but with the two other standout WRs gone, Brown will be who the new QB leans on most of the season, which could mean big things. USF, WV and Maryland will be minor competition.
35. Mike Williams, Syracuse- If the Orange are smart enough to keep Cameron Dantley at QB, then Williams should have a tremendous season. They have a pretty easy schedule, aside from a trip to Penn St. and home dates with USF and West Virginia early in the season.
36. Jerrel Jernigan, Troy- Jernigan would have had even better stats last season if he didn't get injured. Levi Brown will help him put up great numbers and with Florida being the only tough defense he faces, who knows how great he will be.
37. Deryn Bowser, Akron- I think Jacquemain is an underrated QB and he's good because he has Bowser and Andre Jones, two WRs who overachieve immensely. Only the opener at Penn St, will cause him to have an off day. Northern Illinois may also be a tricky one on the road.
38. Austin Pettis, Boise St.- Pettis will thrive as Kellen Moore's only returning WR with any experience. The only thing that could derail a superb season is if Moore has a sophomore slump. Oregon will be a challenge, but Boise gets them at home so, he should be free and clear for '09.
39. Michael Floyd, Notre Dame- As I said with Golden Tate, Clausen could get the go-ahead to throw even more this season, which means their stats will go up if they play up to potential.
40. Jeremy Williams, Tulane- If Joe Kemp starts as Phil Steele predicts, then Bob Toledo, generally regarded as a smart coach, needs to be fired. Kevin Moore is far better and could help Williams put up good stats. Consecutive road trips to Southern Miss and LSU will halt his productivity, but otherwise, he'll do bad things to opposing defenses.
41. Patrick Edwards, Houston- If he hadn't suffered a horrible leg injury last season, he would have surpassed 1,000 yards easily and should so this season. Keenum is a fantastic QB and will do enough to keep him and Carrier happy.
42. Rashaun Greer, Colorado St.- This is tricky because Greer had a lot of yards last season, but counterpart Dion Morton had all the TDs (10 to 3). This is a tricky pick since the Rams will have a new QB, but thankfully the MWC won't be as good as 2008. However, TCU will be a challenge.
43. Damian Williams, USC- I don't know who will be the Trojans new QB, but in their productive, pro-style offense, Williams should get good yardage and probably 10+ TDs. A road trip to Ohio St. will be interesting, but the rest isn't so bad, including Notre Dame and UCLA.
44. Brandon LaFell, LSU- Jordan Jefferson will only improve as a QB with more reps and LaFell should have another great season, much like he did last year with no real competent QB to get him the ball. Alabama and Florida will be stern tests, but he will do well against everyone else.
45. Keith Smith, Purdue- He could be a steal if you get him this late in the draft. That is, provided new QB Joey Elliott steps up and has decent numbers. Almost everyone else who contributed in '08 is gone, so look for a huge jump. Ohio St. will not be easy at home and neither will be road games at Oregon or Michigan.
46. Jimmy Young, TCU- Andy Dalton is another underrated, but highly productive QB and he's only as good as he is because Young is a stud at WR. Going to UVa and Clemson might hurt his numbers, but dates with New Mexico, Texas St. and SMU will more than make up for it.
47. Arrelious Benn, Illinois- Only if he gets more TDs will Benn be a good draft pick. He may get plenty of yards, but again, CBS doesn't count KR/PRs, so that hurts him. Home games with Penn St. and Michigan will not help his cause, nor will a road date with Ohio St. on Sep. 26.
48. Shay Hodge, Ole Miss- This is a good pick because what he lacked in overall yards last season he made up for with 8 TDs. Those numbers should improve with Jevan Snead becoming a star at QB. Alabama, Vandy and LSU will be minor roadblocks to a terrific season.
49. Andrew Brewer (or Jeremy Ebert), Northwestern- Brewer has the size and speed to be the star of this receiving corps and Mike Kafka won't disappoint as the new QB. The Wildcats don't have to play Michigan or Ohio St., so that is quite beneficial for fantasy owners.
50. Owen Spencer, N.C. State- With Wake Forest, Florida St., BC and VA Tech all on the road, this may be a dangerous pick. Still, I think Russell Wilson continue to mature as a QB, which means Spencer's numbers could skyrocket. Wilson did spread the ball around a lot last season, but he will learn to use his go-to guy more often.
51. Ronald Johnson, USC- With Patrick Turner gone, that means more room for Mitch Mustain or Aaron Corp, whoever starts at QB, to spread the ball around to both him and Williams.
52. Dexter McCluster, Ole Miss- As long as Houston Nutt continues to employ the "Wild Rebel" formation, McCluster should go well over a 1,000 yards rushing/receiving combined again in 2009. Semi-tough schedule, but the high-powered offense will make up for it.
53. Chris McGaha, Arizona St.- The Sun Devils were awful offensively last season and if a QB doesn't develop quickly, things could be just as bad in '09. He has potential, but who knows if it will be able to shine through. Weak schedule, aside from USC and a road trip to Georgia.
54. Jock Sanders, West Virginia- If he's eligible. He should have good receiving numbers, especially in terms of TDs, and his running numbers are surprisingly good. East Carolina may be a tough trip, as will road dates with USF and Auburn. However, it's not too daunting a task.
55. Jessie Hester, USF- QB Matt Grothe should again put up good numbers, especially with three easy non-conference games to start the year. Florida St., Miami (FL) and WV could be tough, but with his experience, he'll find a way to be productive.
56. Doug Beaumont, Louisville- The new QB will have to develop quickly if Beaumont is going to top 750 yards again, especially with a deep and talented receiving corps behind him. The numerous road games may hurt the new QB, but it will be interesting to monitor all season.
57. Nyan Boateng, Cal- Kevin Riley will finally be the man at QB, which could be promising for Boateng, a speedster with decent size. Maryland will be challenging, but it's the opener so that's not as bad. The Pac-10 is so weak I see no real opposition aside from USC, who was decimated on defense by the draft.
58. Vincent Brown, San Diego St.- Ryan Lindley should only get better as a sophomore, which I think means Brown will approach 1,000 yards. If his TD total improves too, he could be a steal. UCLA is a tough non-conference game, as is TCU in conference, but the rest is pretty easy.
59. Slick Shelley, Tulsa- He had a lot of promise at Tennessee and is fulfilling that potential at Tulsa, even with a ton of other talented players around him to whom he has to share the ball.
60. Chris Wellington, Nevada- It may surprise some people that the Wolf Pack had a 1,000 yard receiver last season, especially when you consider how great their running game was. I think Wellington slides into that star receiver spot and has a great season. He will get his every week.
61. Seyi Ajirotutu, Fresno St.- Provided the stable of RBs don't get all the TDs, this man will be a threat from all over the field; he has enough speed to burn people deep and the size near the goalline to make big plays. I see him having trouble with Wisconsin and Boise St., but other than those two, and despite having a new QB, he should come close to a 1,000 yards, if not surpass it.
62. Malcolm Lane, Hawaii- This position could go to Lane or Daniel Lofton, but whoever the #2 WR is on the big island, he will have a lot of yards and TDs. This pick may hinge on how successful Greg Alexander is as the full-time QB. Only Boise St. poses a threat on the schedule.
63. Stephen Williams, Toledo- Even with two good RBs chewing up yards, QB Aaron Opelt will find Williams a lot this season. Beware because his numbers dropped last season compared to '07. Playing Ohio St. and Purdue won't help his cause much either.
64. Darrell McNeal, Louisiana-Monroe- He does lose a very accurate QB in Kinsmon Lancaster, but he also has been the man at WR for two seasons now, putting up impressive stats for a balanced offense. He plays at Texas and at Kentucky, which will be tough for a new QB, but the rest is slim pickens, enough with plenty of road games.
65. Phillip Livas, Louisiana Tech- Here's another player who won't wow you with receiving numbers right away, but his rushing/receiving potential maThey play at LSU and Auburn, and of course home to Boise St., but that won't be as overmatched as one might think.

Honorable mention: Riley Cooper, Florida, Montez Billings, Auburn, Jarred Fayson, Illinois, Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, Iowa, Mark Dell, Michigan St., David Gilreath, Wisconsin, Jeff Fuller, Texas A&M, Aldarius Johnson, Miami (FL), Greg Little, UNC, David Reed, Utah, Greg Bolling, Wyoming, Frantrell Forrest, UAB, Taylor Price, Ohio, Briggs Orsbon, Ball St.

A quick note; I didn't put a Missouri or BYU receiver on this list because I don't know who will be the stars yet. Danario Alexander has potential at Mizzou, while BYU has plenty of options. Keep an eye on these teams, I'm sure someone will develop eventually.

Top 50 Fantasy RBs

2009-06-28T20:22:00.000-07:00

Well, this list will be a lot more difficult to compile than the top QBs for many reasons. For one, good starting QBs will never get benched, no matter how much they struggle unless the coach is fearing for his job. If a RB has 50 yards over 3 games, coaches have no qualms about sitting a supposed "star." Second, very rarely does a QB come out of nowhere to start for a productive team, unless your Kevin McDougal at Notre Dame in 1993, but even he lucked out as super freshman Ron Powlus got injured and didn't play. A fifth or sixth string running back can surprise the coaches and get the call to be great, ala Warrick Dunn for Florida State in that same year, 1993. Third, RBs will often split carries unless they are a Donald Brown at UConn last year, so if there are two good backs, like Jeremiah Johnson and LeGarrette Blount at Oregon, who knows which one will get the bulk of the carries for that week. And lastly, WRs are taking more rushing yards out of the equation thanks to Jim Grobe of Wake Forest and Urban Meyer at Florida who have tinkered with new ways of getting the hands into their speedy wideouts by way of quick hand-offs while the WR goes in motion. Anyways, enough foreplay, let's get to the list.

1. Jahvid Best, Cal- He has a good QB and WRs to keep the pressure off him. He's also a great receiver and the only tests will be USC, who loses a ton of starters, and at Oregon, both early in the season. Tons of speed, a real talent.
2. Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma St.- Georgia may be a tough game, but at least OSU gets them at home. Also, Houston, Rice, Grambling St., Iowa St. and Texas Tech should be big games for him. He also has a great QB, good backup RBs and a star WR to help a loaded offense.
3. Vai Taua, Nevada- Unless former star Luke Lippincott regains his job, Taua and QB Colin Kaepernick will rush for a ton of yards. Missouri and Notre Dame may not be easy tests, but UNLV, Idaho, New Mexico St. and Hawaii should get him plenty of yards.
4. Jonathan Dwyer, GA Tech- He averaged a ton of yards per carry last season and had plenty of long runs. With the flexbone offense he's in, he'll see plenty of opportunities for big gainers again. His division is weak, as is Jacksonville St. and at Mississippi St.
5. Eugene Jarvis, Kent St.- This is a confidence pick more than a can't miss one. With Julius Edelman running all over the place last season, Jarvis lost a ton of yards and TDs. He gets Buffalo, Eastern and Western Michigan and Coastal Carolina, all potential big games. He will also be the feature back for a new QB who won't be allowed to throw too much.
6. Damion Fletcher, Southern Miss- East Carolina and Kansas, possibly Louisville, are the only real tough defenses he should face all season. He also get his entire OL and plenty of weapons to take the pressure off of him. There's also no second RB to threaten his carries.
7. Evan Royster, Penn St.- This may be a risky pick because QB Daryll Clark has no viable WRs to throw to and his numbers can only go down from last year. The non-conference is especially pitiful, however, and Joe Paterno usually sticks to one dominant RB for a whole season.
8. Jacquizz Rodgers, Oregon St.- Once again, here's another RB who has no competition for the bulk of the carries on offense and a good QB to share the burden on offense. Portland St., UNLV and Cincinnati should be big games, as is the rest of the Pac-10, an especially weak conference.
9. Darren Evans, VA Tech- Alabama and Nebraska may be tough defensive tests, but generally when a VA Tech offense gets rolling, the TB puts up big numbers. He may not have but 2 explosive games, but he'll get enough carries to be worth a high pick.
10. Bryce Beall, Houston- Despite games with Oklahoma St., Texas Tech and Southern Miss, Beall will have fantastic numbers. He's in possibly the most high-powered offense in the country and his division is very weak. With Keenum throwing all over the place, he'll grind out a lot of extra yards clinching games late.
11. LeGarrette Blount, Oregon- I love this kid; he has tons of home-run potential and was quite underrated last year. With Jeremiah Masoli and Andre Crenshaw potential running threats as well, this offense will be just as explosive. Schedule is kind of rough, but manageable.
12. Harvey Unga, BYU- With plenty of QB Max Hall's receiving threats gone, I think the Cougars will lean on the ground game a lot more at times. He's also a good receiver. Tulane and Utah St. will be big non-conference games and the rest of the MWC is not too rough.
13. Charles Scott, LSU- Despite stiff competition from Keiland Williams and Richard Murphy, Scott is a dynamic back who can carry the rushing load by himself and score tons of TDs near the goalline. Only Alabama and Florida will be the only outstanding defenses he faces.
14. CJ Spiller, Clemson- This ranking is for potential. TCU and South Carolina won't be easy defenses to face, but the rest of the ACC and non-conference is not that hard. Now, he may not have as many receptions being the go-to back and CBS sports doesn't count KR/PRs.
15. Toby Gerhart, Stanford- This player's output will likely depend on who starts at QB and how well they pass downfield and not allow teams to stack the line. San Jose St., Wake Forest and Notre Dame will be tough defenses, but the Pac-10 isn't that challenging.
16. Craig Cooper, Miami (FL)- Cooper will be an outstanding back if he can wrestle the bulk of the carries away from TB Javarris James. An experienced OL also returns to help him out. Be wary of games with South Florida and Oklahoma, while the rest are pretty basic.
17. Noel Devine, West Virginia- Devine is another big-play hitter and assuming new QB Jarrett Brown and slot WR Jock Sanders don't steal a lot of carries, his numbers should improve. He should also get more TDs without Pat White. Some non-conference games will be tricky, same for USF, but the rest of the schedule isn't too daunting.
18. MiQuale Lewis, Ball St.- Without QB Nate Davis, this will be a rough season for Lewis, who has a rough act to follow from '08. He can take the bulk of the carries, but his TD production will almost have to drop. The non-conference schedule is light, however, besides Auburn, so there is potential.
19. Andre Anderson, Tulane- Luckily, this back plays in the weak division of C-USA, while Army and McNeese St. have the potential for huge outputs. The QB position is unsettled, but they have good weapons on the flanks to help out.
20. Cyrus Gray, Texas A&M- With Mike Goodson now gone, Gray will be the feature back and has loads of potential. He's also got good weapons to support him. The non-conference schedule is very easy, but Oklahoma and Texas will be tough games.
21. Derrick Washington, Missouri- Their offense won't be nearly as successful as last year, but he should be the man yet again and have plenty of chances to score TDs, whoever's QBing the team. Bowling Green, Furman and Nevada will be opportunities for huge numbers.
22. Daniel Porter, LA Tech- LSU and Auburn will be rough non-conference opponents, but the WAC is pretty easy, including the toughest opponent, Boise St. at home. I like Porter because LT is run-oriented and he's a great receiver who may not have huge games, but be consistent.
23. Curtis Steele, Memphis-Assuming the Tigers' offense improves, Steele should have similar yardage numbers and more TDs. He also has a great passing game to support him. His three toughest games come in four weeks vs. Southern Miss, East Carolina, and Tennessee.
24. DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma- He, along with Brown, should put up similar numbers to 2008 because QB Sam Bradford loses most of his big-play WRs. Even if they split carries, both backs will shine in blowouts and near the goalline. The schedule is nice and easy as well.
25. Chris Brown, Oklahoma- (SEE DeMarco Murray)
26. James Starks, Buffalo- There's no great QB to take the pressure off, but the WRs should pose enough of a threat to keep defenses honest. He's also a great receiver and used to handling a lot of carries. The non-conference isn't very tough, nor is most of the MAC.
27. Victor Anderson, Louisville- He has some rough games at Utah, home vs. Southern Miss and possibly Kentucky, but the rest isn't too hard. However, he doesn't have a great QB to help out and may have a sophomore slump. With a good OL to help, he should be ok.
28. Roy Helu, Nebraska- Assuming Quentin Castille doesn't take away too many carries, and a QB develops soon, Helu should have a great season. The non-conference is quite easy, aside from VA Tech, and Oklahoma will be a tough defense in-conference.
29. Jaycen Taylor, Purdue- If he can come back from a tough injury, despite losing his QB, Taylor will be bad news for opposing Big 10 defenses. He's got good speed and is a good receiver. He also gets lucky by avoiding Penn St. and only Notre Dame and Oregon are tough non-conference foes.
30. Michael Smith, Arkansas- Troy may be a rough non-conference foe, as will LSU, Florida and Alabama from the SEC, but if Ryan Mallett is the talent at QB people expect him to be, Smith will have lots of running lanes to go through in this explosive offense.
31. Nic Grigsby, Arizona- The non-conference games are a joke and with a ton of great WRs to help out new QB Matt Scott, Grigsby will be explosive. Even if Keola Antolin takes away a few carries, the offense will score enough to make the split-time not matter very much.
32. Jake Sharp, Kansas- Almost all of the skill position players return on offense for the Jayhawks, which means Sharp should have loads of opportunities near the goalline and a lot of help all-around. Southern Miss, Oklahoma and Texas will be brutal, but everything else is easy.
33. Da'Rel Scott, Maryland- This Terps' offense hasn't been that explosive for around a decade or more and this is a risky pick. Assuming Scott gets the same amount of carries as last season, and Devin Meggett doesn't get a larger role, Scott will be good for another 1200 yards and 10-12 TDs. Easy schedule until the end of the season with VA Tech, Florida St. and BC.
34. Reggie Arnold, Arkansas St.- The non-conference will be tough with Nebraska, Iowa and Louisville all coming on the road, but the division is pretty weak aside from usual powehouse Troy. Also, Arnold benefits from outstanding QB Corey Leonard back to threaten opposing defenses and he could see increased receiving numbers.
35. Armando Allen, Notre Dame- VERY risky pick, huge potential, but also huge bust risk in a pass-heavy offense. He might share carries with Robert Hughes also, so he's only considered a good backup fantasy pick, Michigan, USC and BC will be the only challenging defenses.
36. Brandon Minor, Michigan- The Wolverines have to improve offensively in Rich Rodriguez's system and I believe Minor will be a big part of that resurgence. He gets Western and Eastern Michigan along with Delaware St. to help pad the stats.
37. Brandon West, Western Michigan- West will only be a big fantasy pick when Hiller doesn't get the go-ahead to throw 40+ times. He can catch a lot of passes, but didn't always get TD opportunities in the red zone. Michigan and Michigan St. will be tough matchups defensively.
38. DuJuan Harris, Troy- He's a mighty mouse back who plays in the right offense. With a dynamic passing game and an offense that believes in running it 30+ times to establish dominance, he should always have decent numbers. Florida will be tough, but no other team stands out as a total defensive mismatch, even Arkansas.
39. John Clay, Wisconsin-Even with Zach Brown lurking around, he should establish himself as the clear-cut #1 back and in Wisconsin's offense, that means plenty of carries and big numbers. Ohio St. and Michigan will be challenges, but the rest are mediocre defenses.
40. Caleb King, Georgia- Much like at Wisconsin, UGa generally finds a #1 back and gives him the ball a lot (Garrison Hearst, Herschel Walker, Knowshon Moreno). King should be a star and he has a good set of WRs and a strong returning OL to help him. Breaking in a new QB will get him lots of carries. Florida, LSU and South Carolina will be a challenge, along with GA Tech.
41. Josh Adams, Wake Forest- Very risky pick because WF's offense is quite erratic and hasn't established a standout RB for awhile, but he has great potential. Semi-tough ACC division, but Stanford, Elon and Navy will be opportunities for huge numbers.
42. Cam Montgomery, North Texas- Cam was the lone bright spot for NT last season besides do-it-all WR Casey Fitzgerald, and assuming Riley Dodge steps in at QB, he will be relied on to eat clock. He has all-world potential. He will do well in the Sun Belt and should do fine against Ohio or Ball St. and possibly Army too. Minor risk, but huge reward potential.
43. Jeremy Avery, Boise St.- Ian Johnson never separated himself from Avery last year and now all by himself, Avery has 1,500-2,000 yard rushing/receiving combined potential. He plays in a high-powered offense, so he will have a ton of opportunities. Oregon is tough, but everything else is a cakewalk.
44. Darius Marshall, Marshall- Good pick mostly for his consistency and ability to establish himself as the primary ball-carrier. Only if his QB improves will he get more TDs and receptions. VA Tech, WV, Southern Miss and East Carolina will be tough games, but the rest are shaky.
45. Ryan Matthews (or Anthony Harding), Fresno St.-Whoever gets the job will get a lot of yards, but in years past, Fresno has split carries when they have a talented backfield (ala Ron Rivers, Lorenzo Neal and Anthony Daigle in 1991-92). That means the TDs and yards will be split, so whoever wins the job should be just a supporting cast player.
46. Mark Ingram, Alabama- VA Tech and LSU will be difficult games, but the rest are horrific, including North Texas, Florida International and Chattanooga. I think he's ready to be the main man and contribute 1,000 yards and 10 TDs. Lost some good O-lineman, which may hurt.
47. Dan Herron, Ohio St.- Another school where the main RB gets the bulk of the carries and with his hype, big things are expected of Herron this year. He could lose the job to Brandon Saine, but whoever wins the job will lose some TDs to QB Terrelle Pryor near the redzone. USC, Penn St. and Michigan will be tests, but the rest of the schedule, nah.
48. Ben Tate or Mario Fannin, Auburn- Whichever one wins the starting job should be quite productive. I like both of these players, Fannin for his all-around abilities and speed, Tate for his power and durability. LSU, Alabama and WV will provide some resistance on the ground, but the Tigers will get their yards like they do every season, especially against the weaklings.
49. Mikell Simpson, Virginia- Huge sleeper pick. His numbers should definitely be up without Peerman and QB Jameel Sewell being reinstated at QB. I think he's quite versatile and could catch a lot of passes, especially without any proven WRs around. TCU, Southern Miss, BC, and GA Tech will be difficult to get past, but luckily, VA Tech comes after the fantasy season, so that won't hurt you if you draft him.
50. Deonte Jackson, Idaho- The Vandals' offense may be lacking quite a bit, but when you're the only real star or threat, you can have great numbers, which I expect Jackson to have this season. NIU, Washington and Colorado St. aren't the scariest of non-conference defenses and I believe Jackson will get a lot of carries for 1,000 yards easy. The key is getting more TDs.

Honorable Mentions: Darius Willis, Indiana, Stephen Simmons, Northwestern, Cordera Eason, Ole Miss, Bryce Brown, Tennessee, Jewel Hampton, Iowa, Anthony Dixon, Mississippi St., Joseph Turner, TCU, Atiyyah Henderson, San Diego St., Jamad Williams, Tulsa, whoever the FB is at Army, Terrence Blevins, EMU, Frank Goodin, ULM

Enjoy the season, good luck on your picks, unless you're in my league.

Top 30 Fantasy QB

2009-06-27T19:36:00.000-07:00

Ok, since fantasy college football was arguably one of the greatest things ever last season, I am yet again joining a few leagues (God knows how many). Anyways, to help me grasp who I should be drafting and so I can have a nifty cheat-sheet, I'm doing a top listing of the most important positions. Let's start with the most important one of all, quarterback. It's important to remember that this list isn't about who is the most talented QB in the country, but who will put up the best numbers based on returning starters that will help him and difficulty of schedule.

1. Case Keenum, Houston- Considering the conference and how many weapons he has returning, Keenum should easily top 5,000 total yards this season. His only really tough games should be at Mississippi St., Oklahoma St. and home games with Texas Tech and Southern Miss. BYEs: Sep. 19
2. Colt McCoy, Texas- With Jordan Shipley and plenty of good returning receivers, McCoy should again throw for plenty of yards and TDs. Also, with no proven RB, he will run for good numbers yet again. The schedule is pretty easy. BYEs: Oct. 3
3. Tim Tebow, Florida- Tebow's running numbers may be down with plenty of good RBs surrounding him, but he has good, speedy WRs and a fantastic TE. A road game with LSU will be tough, but the non-conference is easy. BYEs: Oct. 3
4. Sam Bradford, Oklahoma- It will almost be impossible for him to match last season's stats. but with Ryan Broyles and TE Gresham back, he should be good once again. BYU and at Miami should be tough, but he'll pull through. BYE: Sep. 26
5. Taylor Potts, Texas Tech- Ok he hasn't proven himself yet, but the TT QB almost always puts up 4,000 yards and plenty of TDs. OK, OK St. and TX will be tough, but the non-conference is relatively easy. Has good WRs to help him out. BYE: Nov. 7
6. Zac Robinson, Oklahoma St.- Thanks to WR Dez Bryant and a good cast of RBs around him, Robinson will be quite prolific yet again. He loses a great TE, but his rushing numbers should help make up for it. UGA is the only tough non-conf D. BYE: Oct. 3
7. Colin Kaepernick, Nevada- This is the real sleeper of the draft. His outstanding rushing/passing numbers should go well beyond 3,500 yards. Notre Dame and Missouri are the only real defensive tests beside Boise St. of course. BYE: Sept. 12
8. Dan LeFevour, Central Michigan- With most of his fantastic receiving corps returning, Lefevour should throw for well beyond 3,000 yards and have his good usual running numbers. He plays Arizona, Michigan St. and BC which should be tough defensive tests. BYE: Nov. 7
9. Juice Williams, Illinois- Yet another hidden gem in the draft. Williams has established he can throw for plenty of yards and his lots of weapons around him, but needs to cut down on his INTs. Penn St., Ohio St. and Missouri should be challenges, but with his running ability, he'll be ok. BYE: Sep. 19 and Nov. 21
10. Todd Reesing, Kansas- Reesing is a fantastic passer who should have incredible numbers for the third straight season with almost all of his weapons back. 4,000 yards is within reach and he can run for good numbers as well. Southern Miss, Oklahoma and at Texas will be tough but he will still be a great pick anywhere. BYE: Oct. 3
11. Robert Griffin, Baylor- This is a real risk here and he has plenty of good WRs, but he is in a very tough conference. If he can improve his passing numbers and keep the rushing numbers the same, he will be a steal. BYE: Sep. 12
12. Jevan Snead, Ole Miss- Snead should throw for plenty of yards with most of his WRs returning and a good set of RBs supporting him. He also can run, but hasn't been asked to a lot. Alabama, LSU and Auburn will be tough defensive tests. BYE: Sep. 12
13. Jeremiah Masoli, Oregon- Considering how much CBS sports gives out for rushing stats and TDs, Masoli is a player with incredible value. He should get 700 yards at least, if not a 1,000 and will have plenty of TDs running/passing. USC, UCLA and Boise St. will be tough and Utah is not as daunting as last year. BYE: Oct. 17, Nov. 28
14. Trevor Vittatoe, UTEP- Thanks to an outstanding receiving duo in Kris Adams and Jeff Moturi, this player should have incredible stats yet again. Kansas and at Texas are the only real tough tests since C-USA West is not defensive driven. BYE: Oct. 17
15. Bo Levi Mitchell, SMU- (NOTE, Big Risk) I think Mitchell will have plenty of yards, but will his TD-to-INT ratio improve enough to be worth the gamble? Has two incredible receivers in Aldrick Robinson and Emmanuel Sanders. TCU and East Carolina will be tough tests, especially back-to-back. BYE: Sep. 26
16. Kellen Moore, Boise St.- Austin Pettis is a great receiver and with no feature RB to hog up the yards, Moore should be in for a big season. Oregon will be a tough test but the other games should be relatively easy. BYE: Oct. 10
17. Tim Hiller, Western Michigan- He has to play at Michigan and Michigan St., but a road trip to Indiana may not be a fantasy disaster. Juan Nunez is a great go-to WR and his RBs can receive quite well so he will be productive yet again. BYE: Nov. 28
18. Adam Weber, Minnesota- With Eric Decker a potential All-American and newcomer Hayo Carpenter's blistering speed, Weber will surpass 3,000 yards easy and probably get 20-25 TDs. Syracuse, Air Force and Cal aren't very intimidating non-conference foes. BYE: Nov. 28
19. Jacob Bower, Tulsa- He will not put up the numbers David Johnson did in '08, but with Charles Clay (FB), Demaris Johnson, Slick Shelley and Trae Johnson, he could have incredible numbers. It depends on how much the running game produces and how many TDs that takes away. Oklahoma and Boise St. will be tough, but nothing else really, Southern Miss maybe. BYE: Oct. 10
20. Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M- Johnson has an underrated group of WRs and TE Jamie McCoy to work with, so his numbers should only increase immensely. His non-conference schedule is a dream and Iowa St., Colorado and Kansas St. is easy for Big 12 north. BYE: Sep. 12
21. Russell Wilson, N.C. State- There are no standout WRs to throw to and he could have the Colt McCoy "sophomore slump" syndrome, so beware. South Carolina and Pitt will be tough out of conference and all the in-conference road games are brutal. BYE: Oct. 24
22. USC QB- It's just a fact, they always do well and whoever steps in this season will have an incredible supporting cast.
23. Matt Scott, Arizona- (Another BIG Risk) Scott doesn't have any experience, but the receivers are fantastic, as is TE Rob Gronkowski. There's a tricky game at Iowa early in the season and road games to Cal and USC will not be easy for a new starter. BYE: Oct. 3 and 31
24. Tony Pike, Cincinnati- I don't like him facing Oregon St., Fresno St. or Illinois out of conference, but he should be involved in a lot of shootouts with no defense to support him. He does have some great WRs to bail him out though. Oct. 10 and Nov. 21
25. Ryan Lindley, San Diego St.- UCLA and Utah may be some tough games, but most of the tougher conference foes are at home so Lindley should be great with more experience. Almost all of his WRs are back and the non-conference is pitiful, so I expect a lot here. BYE: Oct. 10
26. Ryan Mallett, Arkansas- (Huge Risk) He gets every WR and outstanding TE DJ Williams back so if he grasps the offense quickly, the Hogs will be explosive. Road games at Florida, Alabama, and LSU will not be easy, but he should produce against everybody else. BYE: Sep. 12
27. Austin Davis, Southern Miss- Assuming DeAndre Brown is recovered from his horrific injury, Davis should be a fine dual-threat player, assuming he gets the same amount of TDs on the ground in 2009 he got in '08. Road games to Kansas and a home date with Virginia won't be pushovers, and he does play in a decent division, but he will only improve as he gets more reps. BYE: Nov. 7
28. Joe Webb, UAB- This is another slightly risky pick, but on the bright side, he's almost all the Blazers have. It will be tough to match last year's 1,000 yard rushing effort, but with all his WRs back, including the explosive Frantrell Forrest, he should soar as a senior. BYE: Oct. 10
29. Greg Alexander, Hawaii- The Warriors always produce good numbers through the air, and with Alexander finally having the job to himself, he should be more confident and put up big numbers. Having Greg Salas, Malcolm Lane, Daniel Lofton and others returning doesn't hurt matters either. BYE: Sep. 26
30. Rusty Smith, Florida Atlantic- With almost all of his WRs back, including big-play TE Jason Harmon who missed 2008, Smith will again top 3,000 yards and maybe surpass 25-30 TDs. He has Nebraska and South Carolina, which won't be easy games or produce big numbers, but the rest of the schedule isn't very challenging defensively. Beware, sometimes CBS doesn't count Sun Belt games stats, it all depends. BYE: Sep 12 and Oct. 10
Honorable Mention: Riley Dodge, North Texas, Andy Schmitt, Eastern Michigan, Tyler Sheehan, Bowling Green, Casey Clausen, Notre Dame, Arkelon Hall, Memphis, Matt Grothe, USF

On a lighter note, beware of taking any Big Ten QBs not noted in the above list. Darryl Clark and Terrelle Pryor are good enough players, even Mike Kafka has potential at Northwestern, but really, the offenses have stayed ground-oriented for the most part even up until today. The SEC is also dangerous because of the outstanding defense that is played by each team week in, week out. The Sun Belt has potential for some QBs, but often-times CBS sports doesn't count a few of their games each season. Also, if your guy plays Tuesday or Wednesday, the game won't count either. Good luck.

Big East Preview

2009-06-25T00:51:00.000-07:00

This used to be a power conference back when Louisville, West Virginia and Rutgers, to a point, were consistently being ranked in the top 10 and winning BCS games. Most recently, the likes of UConn, South Florida and Cincinnati have become much better teams, consistently making bowls and presenting a real challenge to the conference's elite. Let's get to it.

Cincinnati- Ok, I've been subscribing and buying college football annuals since 1992 and never can I remember a defense returning just one starter like Cincinnati does this year. Safe to say, the defense will not be good, even though Aaron Webster is a fine SS and DL Curtis Young and John Hughes could be decent pass rushers. Andre Revels is also a fine LB, but with no experience in a 4-man LB set, things don't look good. On offense, this may have been the Big East's best if the NCAA had accepted Vidal Hazelton's request to play in 2009. However, the Bearcats will still be very good thanks to QB Tony Pike and a slew of talented receivers. Mardy Gilyard and Marcus Barnett should be great again this season and former QB, now TE, Ben Guidugli, will only get better with experience. John Goebel, Jacob Ramsey and Isaiah Pead should make a good three-headed combo at RB, but I don't expect big numbers from them as a whole. With the defense the way it is, I don't like Cincinnati's chances at Oregon St. or against Illinois and Fresno St. at home. They will be lucky to come away 4-1 or even 3-2 in non-conference. Facing West Virginia at home and road trips to USF, Rutgers and Pitt will be tough tests. I think 6-7 wins is the high-mater wark for this club, but 8 is not out of reach.

Connecticut- I still can't believe this team won 8 games last season because no one could figure out the four basic plays the offense ran all season; Donald Brown left, Donald Brown right, Donald Brown up the middle, and a horribly thrown play action pass by former QB Tyler Lorenzen. Now, without Brown, this is a mediocre team at best. Jordan Todman won't be able to carry half the load Brown did, while whoever steps in at QB will have an awful receiving corps, except for Michael Smith. DE Lindsey Witten was a nice pass rusher in limited action and DT Twyon Martin will be a nice contributor as well. The LBs are outstanding with Scott Lutrus, Greg Lloyd, and Lawrence Wilson leading the way. At the secondary positions the Huskies are all set with ball-hawking safeties Aaron Bagsby and Robert Vaughn completing fantastic cover corners Jasper Howard and Robert McClain. The defense is what ultimately carried the Huskies last year (as did Brown) and UConn must rely on that again in 2009. I see the schedule as being a problem with UNC and road games atBaylor and Notre dame. Even traveling to Ohio is tricky as the Bobcats upset Pitt a few years ago on national TV. I see a 2-3 non-conference outcome and then a brutal conference slate. I guess Syracuse is winnable, maybe Louisville. Four wins is my max give here, five if they catch EVERY break imaginable. This team will be awful offensively and I hope I don't have to watch them on TV this season a lot.

Louisville- Assuming transfer Justin Burke is the answer at QB, Louisville will be on the rise. Burke should be ok thanks to standout WR Doug Beaumont and his supporting cast of speedy Trent Guy, reliable Scott Long and huge (6'8) Josh Chichester. Not to mention having good receivers, Burke will inherit Victor Anderson, only a sophomore, who is a bulldozer and should be good for 250-300 carries and 1500 yards easy. It doesn't hurt to have three good starters back on the OL as well. On defense, Jon Dempsey and Antwon Canady were good, but not great at LB, and the DL is not going to fare well with just one returning starter. The DL was bad enough last year at rushing the passer, so any bit of regression will cost them a few wins. Johnny Patrick and Daniel Covington are good DBs, and if JUCO newcomer Preston Pace, who has blistering speed, is a quick learner, the secondary will be outstanding and help a very underwhelming defense overall. If the Cardinals can take two out of three going to Utah and Kentucky and at home against Southern Miss, then a bowl game should be within reach. It won't be easy however. Syracuse and Rutgers are manageable home games while going to UConn will decide who truly belongs in the lower-half. I'll say five wins, with six and a bowl game being realistic.

Pittsburgh- It will be tough for the Panthers to replace LaSean McCoy and his contributions at TB, but they have a host of options, including newcomers Dion Lewis and Ray Graham. They both have good speed and should be a nice 50/50 tandem. Whoever starts and however the carries are divided, the running game will benefit from having four starters back on the O-line. Coach Wannstedt better hope the running game comes together because the passing game is not very stable. Bill Stull is a reliable signal-caller, but throws too many INTs. Oderick Turner and Jonathan Baldwin are stable receiving threats, but nothing spectacular. Pitt should be solid again on defense, especially with DEs Greg Romeus and Jabaal Sheard returning, who could easily improve on the 13 combined sacks they had in 2008. Mick Williams is also fine at DT, but only LB Greg Williams is a standout and unless the other two starters come along, the LBs will be a glaring weakness. Aaron Berry is an outstanding CB and SS Dom DeCicco is an overachiever, which could make for a decent secondary. Pitt has a very interesting non-conference schedule because they play Navy, which is always a tough game, and a road tilt with NC State will be very difficult. A home game with Notre Dame will be another tough test, but one they could easily pass. In conference they get USF and Cincinnati at home, which will be quite beneficial, but a road game with rival West Virginia will make or break their chances at winning the Big East. I'll call for eight wins at least and could easily see them getting up to nine or ten.

Rutgers- The Scarlet Knights have a good stable of RBs, including Kordell Young and Jourdan Brooks, who will benefit quite nicely from 4 returning starters on the O-line. Tim Brown is a fine WR, but he will hurt by the loss of Tiquan Underwood and Kenny Brittt, two outstanding playmakers. Shamar Graves may help him out at TE, but I don't think the QB position will be very stable. Unless the Knights lean on the ground game or a new QB develops out of thin air, the offense will struggle mightily. On defense, Alex Silvestro and George Johnson are fine DEs, but really need to up their productivity. The LBs will be a strong group if Michigan transfer Marcus Witherspoon can contribute right away because Ryan D'Imperio is a solid player, as is Manny Abreu, who has loads of potential. The secondary will have to gel right away because although Devin McCourty is an ok cover corner, he will need help from David Rowe and returning safety Joe Lefeged. The non-conference schedule is pitiful as they will be playing two Div I-AA opponents in Howard and Texas Southern. They also get a sure win against FIU and trips to Maryland and Army which won't be too tough, but the Terps always have upset potential. I think every conference home game is 50/50 because WV and USF are among the elite, while Cincinnati and Pitt could be very good yet again. The only trick in-conference road game is Louisville. I'll call for somewhere between six and eight wins unless a new QB develops immediately. Seven wins sounds just about right.

South Florida- The Bulls success or failure on offense really depends on two important areas; first is whether or not Matt Grothe can improve on an 18-to-14 TD-to-INT ratio from 2008. Second, can Mike Ford finally become the feature back he was destined to be. Ford has all the size, speed and talent, but can never stay healthy enough to be relied upon full-time. I think Carlton Mitchell, Jessie Hester and AJ Love could make up the best receiving corps in the Big East if they play up to their potential. The OL will be a major weakness with just one returning starter so Grothe will have to scramble a lot again this season. Grothe could even become USF's all-time leading rusher as he just needs 647 yards (he had 591 in 2008). If DE George Selvie can become a dominant pass rusher again, the defense will benefit greatly. Terrell McClain is a fine DT and he, along with the rest of the defensive line, should put up good numbers next to Selvie who will be double-teamed a lot. Kion Wilson is a dependable LB, but this unit as a whole needs to produce on a more consistent basis. Jerome Murphy could be a stud at CB, but he needs Quenton Washington to step up his game, especially in a conference where a lot of teams have more than one talented WR. The safety position will be ok as I think Jerrell Young, who put up good numbers in limited action last season, will be a solid starter. USF could start 4-0 if they can beat Florida St. on the road and then the conference schedule starts off with a bang against Syracuse on the road, which could be tricky. Luckily, the Bulls get Cincinnati, Louisville and WV at home and a road game with Pitt is in late October, which means it won't be too cold and the Bulls have a decent shot at getting the road win. I still don't see the Bulls winning the Big East, but I certainly don't see why eight or nine wins is out of the question.

Syracuse- Hey, it's the owners of the stupidest move of the decade; Syracuse went from those beloved Orange helmets, which were as classic as Penn St. and Notre Dame and those hideous letters have caused them nothing but trouble since. They have gone 10-37 since the helmet change, need I say more? If Phil Steele is correct, I don't like the idea of replacing Cameron Dantley at QB, who despite his poor completion percentage had a good TD-to-INT ratio. I think Delone Carter will be a fantastic RB if he gets the same amount of carries as Curtis Brinkley got last season. Donte Davis and Lavar Lobdell aren't outstanding receivers, but Mike Williams is a budding superstar and should be fine after being suspended in 2008. Arthur Jones is a fantastic DT and can only get better, but the rest of the DL needs help as they have limited experience. The LBs are solid with Derrell Smith and Mike Mele, but they will have to improve if the Orange are going to get more than their 3 wins last year. The secondary is just as bad as the rest of the defense with Mike Holmes being a glimmer of hope. Facing Penn St. on the road and Minnesota, Northwestern and Akron is not a beneficial non-conference schedule. I think the Zips could even pull off an upset here, much like they almost did in 2008. The in-conference schedule is even more brutal as they get possibly the 3 best teams (WV, Cincy and USF) all at home. They better pull off a few upsets to get past the three wins I'm predicting (and that's being generous).

West Virginia- Everyone seems to be down on the Mountaineers because they lose Pat White, one of the best starting QBs in recent memory. However, many people seem to forget they have Jarrett Brown back, who has been more than a capable fill-in whenever White got hurt (which was frequently). Brown has decent speed, although not as fast as White, and is a very accurate passer. Noel Devine should be outstanding yet again as a feature back, while newcomer Tavis Austin could produce big things, much like the last superstar from Dunbar HS, Arrelious Benn who went to Illinois. Jock Sanders is a versatile slot receiver/running back who could go well over 1,500 yards all-purpose with the right amount of carries and balls thrown his way. Alric Arnett and Bradley Starks are very capable WRs, while Wes Lyons at 6'8" should be used much more effectively. The OL will be hurting with just one starter back, but with this offensive scheme, they should still be able to come together quickly. While not outstanding, I think DL Scooter Berry and Chris Neild could be big-time players with more experience. JT Thomas and Reed Williams are also solid LBs in the 3-3-5 scheme which has worked quite well for the Mountaineers over the last few seasons. Sidney Glover is also a fine safety and Brandon Hogan is a fabulous cover corner who should be effective again this year. Franchot Allen is asked to do multiple things from his DB spot and will be quite a standout with more playing time (starts). Back-to-back games with East Carolina at home and Auburn on the road will be pivotal tests for this team who hasn't played a lot of games together on both sides of the ball. I think they will get revenge in a big way against Colorado at home and Marshall is a sure-fire win. The only real tests in conference will be at Cincinnati and USF, while the "Backyard Brawl" with Pitt usually determines whether they win the Big East or not. While the non-conference schedule looks like it plays out nicely, this club always makes one or two mistakes in big games they should win. I'll call for 9 wins and a Big East title, with 10-11 being an outside chance, only if Brown is better than advertised (he has major DJ Shockley potential).

MWC Preview

2009-06-24T00:39:00.000-07:00

Air Force- The Falcons really overachieved last year considering QB Tim Jefferson started as a freshman (plebe) for most of the season. While they do lose one good RB, TBs Asher Clark and Kyle Lumpkin, FB Jared Tew and WB Kyle Halderman all return as dangerous running threats. Halderman is also a good receiving threat , and if WR Josh Cousins can maintain his productivity, this will be a very dangerous offense. Jefferson should only improve as a passer, and with 3 OL returning, his numbers should only get better as he gains experience. On defense the Falcons return three outstanding starters in the secondary and Reggie Rembert and Anthony Wright could have big seasons against a conference that has many teams with question marks regarding their respective passing games. Ken Lamendola is a stud at LB, and Patrick Hennessey and Andre Morris could be productive, but the key will be how well the DL rushes the passer. Ben Garland and Andre Morris are fine DL, but there needs to be some urgency because a soft schedule could mean lots of wins. While Army and Navy are never easy wins for the Falcons, I think a road trip to Minnesota is the only thing stands in the way of a perfect 4-0 non-conference schedule. TCU is a winnable game at home, but road trips to BYU and Utah are going to be tough, but one for two seems realistic. I'll call for 7 wins at least, but 8 seems a possibility.

BYU- First off, the Cougars have a great QB but need a lot of help at WR and if they don't start Andrew George at one WR spot, then they deserve to struggle. Dennis Pitta is already an All-American caliber TE, so no need for George there. Also, with George's size, he's better than any of the three prospects ahead of him. Luke Ashworth and O'Neill Chambers are solid players, but McKay Jacobson will really have to prove himself. The bad news for BYU is they lose a ton of starters on the O-line, which could hurt Harvey Unga unless they gel right away. The Cougars return all of their starters on the DL, but unfortunately, only DE Jan Jorgensen is a standout player. Matt Bauman and Coleby Clawson are good LBs, but they will need some help from returning starter Shawn Doman who made a lot of tackles but no real big plays. Scott Johnson is a decent safety, but unless JUCO transfer Brian Logan or Brandon Howard plays well, the secondary will be a major weakness. An early trip to the Lone Star State will be a painful one for the Cougars against Oklahoma, but a home game with Florida St. is winnable and thus, a 3-1 non-conference record is plausible. A road game to UNLV won't be easy, but home games against the other elite teams in the conference, TCU, Utah and Air Force give the Cougars a good shot at winning the conference. A 9 or 10 win season is not out of reach.

Colorado St.- This is going to be an interesting season for the Rams; on the one hand, they have a great OL with no experienced RBs to benefit and two outstanding WRs with no dependable QB to get them the ball. Go figure. Rashaun Greer and Dion Morton are great at going deep or being posession receivers, while Klay Kubiak should be the starting QB because of his familiarity with the offense, but it looks like Grant Stucker will win the job. Stucker apparently has the inside track on the job because of his dual-threat ability, but for the long-term goal, Kubiak should get the go-ahead. However, a senior-laden offense has potential, but that's with a capital "p," no guarantees. The defense might be ok thanks to CBs Nick Oppenneer and Gerard Thomas, but after that, there is very little to work with. Mychal Sisson is an outstanding LB but he loses Ricky Brewer to help him out and the DL is awful. There is no pass-rushing threat and its stunning that this defense got them to a bowl and a win. Even though I am down on rival Colorado, it is always a winnable game, as is Idaho and Weber St., but after that, only three conference games look winnable. Five or six wins seems like an outside shot, and with the down-trodden teams getting better, I'll call for 4 wins, 5 if they get lucky. There's no Gartrell Johnson to bail this team out, unless a star QB emerges out of nowhere.

New Mexico- Well, the Lobos have potential if QB Donovan Porterie can finally put everything together. However, his success depends on the OC (Mike Locksley) allowing him to throw the ball downfield, which he should, especially with Chris Hernandez and Bryant Williams being talented receivers. Rodney Ferguson is a huge loss at TB, but James Wright has the size to fill in nicely. However, he will be pushed by newcomer Desmond Dennis and speedster Terence Brown. The Lobos defense will be fine if the DL can come together with their fine amount of depth. Clint McPeek is a great LB, capable of plugging the hole and chasing down tacklers on the edge, while also being a pass coverage nuisance. If Carmen Messina can produce as a starter like he did in spot action in 2008, this unit will be a strength. The secondary will be a weakness with the loss of both CBs, but Frankie Solomon and Ian Clark are good safeties who should help out enough to keep them from getting burned deep too often. The Lobos should be able to take care of rival New Mexico St., but they better find another win in their non-conference schedule to have any shot at a bowl. I think Texas A&M is a solid candidate for that win, but isn't very likely. I think with road games at San Diego St. and Wyoming, their two most winnable conference games, this looks like a three or four win team if they catch a few breaks.

San Diego St.- It's funny how the Aztecs used to be the most powerful team in the old WAC conference with BYU and others, but now they are struggling to get to their first bowl since 1998. The Aztecs decline wasn't because of any drop in talent in CA, but inept coaching. However, I think 2009 could be the year they turn things around thanks to the talents of do-it-all TB Attiyah Henderson and precocious sophomore QB Ryan Lindley. Lindley has plenty of WRs to throw to, including standout Vicente Brown, but one of the four main targets he has returning needs to become a viable deep threat. The OL returns plenty of experience and I think if Henderson gets enough carries, 2,000 all-purpose yards is well within his reach (1,500 rushing, 500 receiving). On defense, DEs Jonathan Soto and BJ Williams are solid foundations to begin building around, as is the LB corps where the strength is in numbers, not necessarily individual stars. I hope senior Aaron Moore is up to the task of leading the secondary because if he's not, this will be a glaring weakness. Assuming the Aztecs can go to Idaho and win and beat New Mexico St., a 3-1 non-conference record is a good start to the first month of the season. New Mexico and Wyoming aren't the toughest of tests at home and they travel to Colorado St. and UNLV, where a split there and a clean sweep of NM and WY could provide them the opportunity to go bowling. I'm calling for a realistic shot at a bowl bid and 6 wins.

TCU- Well, the Horned Frogs are set on offense despite having a depleted OL. Andy Dalton is a fine QB who can run when necessary and he has a very explosive receiver in Jimmy Young. Assuming versatile Ryan Christian (TB) and WR Bart Johnson can continue to be dependable receiving threats, Dalton's numbers will only improve. Joseph Turner is an outstanding returning TB while Jeremy Kerley is a player who can do lots of things on offense, much like Christian. On defense, TCU had an amazing 2008, but with the return of just 4 starters, those numbers will be hard to duplicate. DE Jerry Hughes is a phenomenal talent, certainly an All-American candidate, but with not a lot of depth returning on the DL, he will have to carry the load. Rafael Priest and Nick Sanders are very capable CBs, along with FS Tejay Johnson, but the strength of the unit will depend on former QB Marcus Jackson's conversion to strong safety. Road trips to Virginia and Clemson will be tough and if the Horned Frogs play well enough, they could go 2-0, but at the same time, going o-for is just as likely. A rivalry game with SMU is no gimme either, while road trips to Air Force and BYU will be tough to overcome if they want to win the conference. I will call for 7-8 wins with 9 being optimistic.

UNLV- The Rebels will go only as far as QB Omar Clayton can take them, which may not be very far. While Clayton doesn't make many mistakes or throw a lot of INTs, he has looked horrible on the road, not counting the win against Arizona St. last season, but the Sun Devils were far overrated anyways. Ryan Wolfe will be Clayton's main target, but his supporting cast, most notably Phillip Payne and Rodelin Anthony, could put up huge numbers with more emphasis put on the passing game. That emphasis may be necessary with the loss of Frank Summers. Summers was a tank who made the big plays and hopefully for UNLV his replacement, CJ Cox, will evolve into that type of player. Cox's evolution will be necessary since incoming freshman Bradley Randle may not have the speed to be an everyday back. The Rebels do have seven returning starters on defense, but considering they allowed over 40 points six times, that may not be a good thing. The DL is experienced, but will have to improve behind the likes of DE Isaako Aaitui and DT Malo Taumua. Jason Beauchamp and Ronnie Paulo are outstanding LBs that will have to play beyond their potential to compensate for the lack of talent in the secondary. The Rebels better hope for a split against Oregon St. and Hawaii at home because a road trip to rival Nevada is an almost certain loss. The conference schedule won't be easy with Utah and BYU coming to town, while a trip to Wyoming and a home game with San Diego St will be make-it-or-break it encounters. I'll call for three wins, four at best.

Utah- Hopefully the Utes enjoyed last season's undefeated season and incredible run to a BCS bid because 2009 will be a rude awakening. Unless Corbin Louks or Terrance Cain assumes the starting role and doesn't split time with the other, this offense will find it hard to click. Louks is a great runner who's never gotten the chance to prove what he can do throwing the ball, so it's really a toss-up for now. Cain should have the edge with his good speed for a QB and coming from a proven JUCO powerhouse, Blinn, in TX. Whoever gets the job will need to get the ball to WRs David Reed and Jerome Brooks who have plenty of potential. The TE position has often been an integral part of the Utes' offense, so Chris Joppru better emerge as a weapon right away. Matt Asiata will be a fine TB, but he needs someone to help him carry the load because they have an experienced OL and could be just as productive on the ground this year as in 2008. Koa Misi is a good DE who better hope his teammates on the DL can produce because if not, he will have too much of a burden to carry. All of the LBs, including Rover Stevenson Sylvester are good at playing both the run and pass and should help a defense that loses both DTs and CBs get throug the rough patches. Whichever players start at CB will be thankful they have Joe Dale and Robert Johnson playing at the safety spots where they were outstanding last season. While the Utes could go 3-1 in their non-conference schedule, home games with Utah St. and Louisville and a road trip to San Jose St. will not be easy. Home games with Air Force and San Diego St. will be the only standing in the Utes way of an upper-division finish because road trips to TCU and BYU are definite losses. I'm calling for seven or eight wins, with an outside shot at nine if they can survive the non-conference slate with just one loss.

Wyoming- If the Cowboys want a proven signal-caller, then Karsten Sween is the way to go, despite a horrific season last year. However, if they want to gamble and find a QB who can run new head coach Dave Christensen's spread offense that was used at Missouri, then Robert Benjamin should start right away. There's no danger in starting the athletic QB against Weber St. and they could pull an upset at Colorado if he has grasped the offense in time. Sadly, the QB position is quite stable compared to the RB position where Darius Terry seems to have won the job by default. Terry does have good speed, but he needs another back to help him out if they are to match the Moore/Seldon combo from last season. The good news for the starting QB, whoever it may be, is that WRs Greg Bolling, David Leonard and Brandon Stewart all have plenty of talent and size while TE Jesson Salyards only adds to the depth of receivers to throw to. On defense, John Fletcher is a good DE and has DT/NG Fred Givens back starting which should help the pass rush (all 3 starters return on the DL as well). Gabe Knapton and Weston Johnson are productive LBs who will have to have outstanding seasons for the Cowboys to have a shot at a bowl game. Tashaun and Marcell Gipson are good CBs and with Chris Prosinski a ball-hawking FS, the secondary could be a relative strength. The defense should put up good numbers, much like it did last season. Winning at Colorado and Florida Atlantic will be important if the Cowboys want to make a bowl push. The same can be said for road games at Colorado St. and San Diego St., which are also winnable. New Mexico and UNLV could be wins at home, but it all depends on the QB. I want to call for 6-7 wins and a bowl game, which is possible, but 4 or 5 is more realistic.

Ok, the Big East is next. I'm off to watch my Yankees and Texas try and win the College World Series against LSU. Take care peeps.

Div I-A Independents

2009-06-22T00:47:00.000-07:00

Well this isn't a very big conference, or even a conference at all for that matter. All of these teams have a long history of playing one another, but Army skips Notre Dame once again this year. Ok, let's just get to the teams shall we...

Army- The Black Knights (Cadets, whatever) have an interesting situation on their hands when it comes to the offense; first off, they have two good returning QBs and a productive WR who might play mostly at slotback. Jameson Carter, the leading receiver from last year returns and could have 1,000 yard potential as a combined runner/receiver at SB. His speed will surely open up holes on the inside for the new FB who has the tough task of replacing Collin Mooney. Patrick Mealy and Ian Smith also return at SB and if the Knights can focus on not just using their FB, this team could put up numbers on the ground similar to the Cadets of Bob Sutton in the 90s. At WR, Carter and Damion Hunter could also do big things, but converted OT Ali Villanueva is a prospect who must mature quickly if he is to be used effectively. The OL will suffer thanks to heavy losses, but on defense, seven returning starters ensures at least modest efficiency. On the DL, Joshua McNary and Victor Ugenyi should improve upon last year's impressive numbers while any support from the rest of their fellow D-lineman could make for a strong pass rush. Stephen Anderson is a stud at LB, but the secondary is the strongest section of this defense. At CB, Jordan Trimble and Mario Hill did not have impressive numbers in terms of INTs, but that's because the number of high-octane passing attacks they faced was limited. At safety, Donovan Travis is a solid performer who should benefit from the line's effective pass rush. The schedule is not too hard, but six or seven wins is a big step for a team that had just three wins in 2008. Four wins seems to be most realistic, but they could surprise some teams.

Navy- Who knows if the Midshipmen will be able to replace SB Shun White or FB Eric Kettani, but assuming they can, since they always do, Navy will once again have a fine running attack to help them through a rough schedule. Ricky Dobbs should slide in nicely at QB, but he has no real threats offensively, including Mario Washington, a short WR who will have his work cut out for him. The SBs will be very hit-or-miss, but Bobby Doyle showed some potential in very limited action. The DL is very experienced and could produce some big numbers, but the pass rush will have to improve immensely for the defense to hang tough against the likes of Pitt (road), Air Force, SMU (road), Wake Forest, Notre Dame (road) and even Hawaii (road). Now, none of those teams are big-time offenses, but they have plenty of potential to blow out the Midshipmen if things go wrong early. Ram Vela may actually be Navy's best pass-rusher at LB but the secondary is in danger because the only position with any real depth is FS where Wyatt Middleton and Emmett Merchant patrol. Blake Carter has potential at CB and Kevin Edwards, with his good speed and great size (6'2" for a CB), could provide just enough coverage ability between the two of them. I really don't see Navy getting past four or five wins with a tough schedule, but they have been known to replace good RBs when they depart without harm. However, Temple, Air Force, and road games with Rice and SMU should ultimately determine their bowl eligibility.

Notre Dame- The Irish are a puzzling bunch. QB Jimmy Clausen is a promising player who showed a lot of potential last year, but he needs to cut down on his INTs big time. The RB situation is fine, but between Armando Allen, Robert Hughes and James Aldridge, one of them needs to emerge as the feature back. The ideal would be have two very productive TBs, much like the late 80s and early 90s during their heyday under Lou Holtz. Golden Tate and Michael Floyd are outstanding WRs, but that may just be because of Clausen's accuracy because Tate disappeared during a few games last season (Stanford, Navy, Washington and USC). Kyle Rudolph is also a productive TE and should improve upon '08s numbers. The OL is also outstanding, which could help one of the three RBs have their breakout season. The defense should be ok despite losing almost half of their starters, and ironically, the best defensive lineman is DT Ethan Johnson, who only had limited playing time. Brian Smith is a fine LB, but the key player to watch will be true freshman Manti Te'o, who is expected to be the next big thing. The secondary should do well with a lot of depth returning, but that's only if Darrin Walls steps into his CB role and produces right away. If not, I would hope Charlie Weis has the good sense to move Robert Blanton to starter. The schedule is pretty favorable, mostly because the Irish keep traditional rivals on their schedule who regularly have far less talent on their respective rosters (Michigan St., Purdue, Navy, Stanford). A home game with Nevada to open the season shouldn't be taken as an easy win, nor should a home game with BC or Washington. I think the Irish could get to eight or nine wins, but that's the max. I'll say eight, but six wouldn't be a surprise.

Ok, so the WAC will be coming up whenever I get the chance. Take care everyone.

C-USA Western Division

2009-06-21T17:55:00.000-07:00

Well, this division had more offensive firepower than anyone except for the Big 12 South. Rice, Tulsa, Houston and even the lowly SMU Mustangs had a multitude of offensive stars who made every week an adventure. The question is, who will rise to the top this year since the Owls lose Dillard and Clement, Tulsa loses three offensive weapons and Houston has heavy losses on defense. Tulane is another wildcard that just can't seem to escape the basement, despite having good players in recent years. Let's get to the analysis

Houston- The Cougars have all the tools on offense with Case Keenum at QB, who threw for more than 5000 yards and 44 TDs while being productive on the ground as well. With six experienced and talented receivers, including superstars Patrick Edwards and Tyrone Carrier, Keenum's productivity should stay at 4,500-5,000 yards. TB Bryce Beall should also be a star, but he may have to run between the tackles this year since the OL loses both starting tackles. The defense is not as strong because they only return four starters. Despite returning two solid LBs in CJ Cavness and Marcus McGraw the DL will struggle a lot, and in return the secondary may get hit pretty hard. Brandon Brinkley is a very good cover corner, but considering this wasn't the best defense last year, things will go downhill fast. Hopefully for them the Cougars will go 2-2 in non-conference, but road games with Mississippi St. and Oklahoma St. and a home game with Texas Tech could easily produce just one win (against Northwestern St). Houston could get to six or wins if the defense produces even a little bit, but road tilts in conference with UTEP and Tulsa could cause them to fall below the even mark. I'll say six wins, seven max.

Rice- Very few teams in the country were hit harder by the NFL draft and players leaving early than Rice. QB Chase Clement, WR Jarrett Dillard and TE/HB James Casey were outstanding last season and provide huge voids to fill. I know Nick Fanuzzi is the front-runner at QB, being an Alabama transfer and all, but if Rice wants to return to a bowl game, they will go with John Thomas Shepherd. No matter who starts, the person will have some weapons in WR Toren Dixon and Corbin Smiter, with Patrick Randolph an up-and-comer. The RB situation is highly unsettled since CJ Ugokwe decided not to return, but TB Shane Turner with his 4.4 speed could be a nice addition if given the chance. However, I think Turner should alternate carries with the veteran Marcus Knox who has never really gotten a chance to show his potential. The OL will need to gel quickly after losing three starters if the offense is to be productive. The defense was never on track last year, but with nine starters back, including productive DEs Scott Solomon and Cheta Ozougwu, who could have big-time seasons. The LB corps returns intact, but only Terrance Garmon was of note last season, so they will have to step it up this fall for the D to be successful. Despite losing a decent CB, the secondary should do fine thanks to Andrew Sendejo, one of the conference's best free safeties and CB Chris Jammer, who will only get better since he is just a sophomore. A win against Vanderbilt in week 4 will be important to Rice if they either want to get to 2-2, or capture their first win of the season since they start off on the road three times. The conference schedule is manageable with Tulsa and UTEP winnable but tough games at home. However, as much as I want to say they get to .500, 4-5 wins is more realistic.

SMU- There is a lot of confusion over who should start at TB for the Mustangs, but once that is settled, the offense will be spectacular. QB Bo Levi Mitchell is a great young QB who should improve his TD-to-INT ratio with experience. Mitchell should count his lucky stars he has potential All-Americans in Aldrick Robinson and Emmanuel Sanders returning at WR, while Cole Beasley and Terrance Wilkerson should be contributors as well. I think Shawnbrey McNeal should start at RB since he was a former track champ and has good speed, but Chris Butler could easily win the job. I may be wrong in every possible way, but I think the secondary was only as bad as it was because they had to defend the passing attacks of UTEP, Rice, Texas Tech, Tulsa and Houston over the course of the season. With another year playing together, CBs Bryan McCann and Derrius Bell should show significant improvement. The LBs are extremely good and underrated with Youri Yenga and Pete Fleps returning. If Texas A&M transfer Chase Kennemer is a solid LB, then this could be a real strength. While the DL is not a fearsome foursome, the non-conference provides a chance at 3-1 going to Wazzou and facing Navy at home. While a road game at TCU is daunting, never underestimate the upset potential of a rivalry game. I see as many as seven or eight wins if they can win at Washington St. and hold course against Rice and UTEP at home in conference. I'll call for seven on the safe side.

Tulane- If early projections are right and the Green Wave are reportedly moving Joe Kemp to starting QB, then this season could be a disaster. Kevin Moore may have had a horrible TD-to-INT ratio but he needed more time and better weapons to deliver. Having RB Andre Anderson back and healthy could only help matters as he's a 1,500 yard rusher easy, but he will need a backup to emerge since he can't carry the offensive load by himself. Whoever starts at QB may not have any superstars to throw to, but freshman DJ Banks has good speed and a nice vertical and should make waves. Alan Mitchell and Jeremy Williams are also good WRs and TE Cody Banks is a good weapon to have at 6-4 in the redzone (now if he can only produce TDs). The defense will need at least one playmaker to establish himself if Tulane is to finish out of last place in the west. The DL returns three starters but no one has any standout potential or statistics to point to a big 2009 season. The LB corps is depleted, but Travis Burks showed promise last season. FS Corey Sonnier and CB Charles Harris have potential as coverage guys and if they can continue to develop, the secondary may not be so bad. The non-conference schedule produces two sure losses (BYU and LSU), but McNeese St. and at Army are highly-winnable. The conference schedule is brutal as road games with Rice and UCF may be there best bet for wins, but a home game against Marshall is there for the taking too. However, as much as I think this team could improve, they may see 2 wins yet again, 3 at most.

Tulsa- We will know for sure by mid-season if Tulsa's success last year was predicated on the OL dominating almost every opponent, or if the scheme was near perfection. Tulsa only gets 2 O-lineman back, but if QB Jacob Bower is as good as advertised, then the offense will keep on rolling. RB Jamad Williams has breakout potential and with WRs AJ Whitmore and Demaris Johnson also able to produce on the ground, the running game should flourish once more. At WR there is a ton of talent, including Johnson, Whitmore, Trae Johnson and Slick Shelley, who all could improve upon last year's numbers. Charles Clay, at FB, is another threat both running and receiving, so it will be hard to stop this offense. The defense was as good as it had to be last season and should be even better with eight starters returning. In the secondary CBs John Destin and Kenny Sims were outstanding against some great passing offenses while safeties Charles Davis and incumbent starter DeAundre Brown (2 INTs) were very productive. The LBs are among the best in C-USA and once again should do well, especially with all the weapons the rest of the division lest on offense. The D-line produced at times last season, but a better pass rush would help them win the division. The Golden Hurricane may have to hope for a 2-2 non-conference record since they play at Oklahoma and against Boise St. Facing UTEP and Southern Miss on the road in conference could be what costs them the division title as a Nov. 7th date with Houston looms large. I see as many as eight wins, but seven looks to be the right amount.

UTEP- As with many teams in the west, a good running game needs to be established for the Miners to have an explosive offense. Daniel Palmer seems to be the RB of the future, but Vernon Frazier had the best numbers last season while Donald Buckram isn't giving up the starting spot so easily. Assuming one or two good runners can emerge and produce, QB Trevor Vittatoe will have an outstanding season. With outstanding receivers Jeff Moturi and Kris Adams returning and capable backups, the passing game will flourish. Vittatoe should also have good productivity with four starters back on the O-line and QB/WR James Thomas II should be a nice wild-card player who can shake things up at any time. The Miners are just like Tulsa in the fact they have plenty of experience back on the D-line but no real pass rush to speak of. That will have to change immediately. The secondary could be a real strength with Melvin Stephenson, Cornelius Brown and Clarence Ward all good cover corners who can make the big plays at any moment. Hopefully freshman safety DeShawn Grayson can step up and if he does, it will come down to Braxton Amy coming back from injury to make this an outstanding unit. The LBs are inexperienced, but I think can produce if given the chance, especially with Da'Mon Cromartie-Smith as a vocal leader. Losing Jose Martinez will be a big blow at K, but apparently he has a strong leg with a 72 yd FG in the spring according to Phil Steele. The schedule should provide a 2-2 start out of conference, unless the Miners pull an upset against Kansas in El Paso. Beating Houston and Tulsa at home will be crucial to taking the division title, as will a road tilt with SMU, who I consider the biggest dark-horse in the conference. Anyways, I'll call for 8-9 wins, with 10 being an outside shot if everything goes well.

Well, I'll try and get to the MWC tomorrow and maybe even the independents later this evening. Both sets are very intriguing with Navy and Army both running the option now, which should increase wins for the lackluster Cadets. I like the depth of the MWC, even the supposed bottom-feeders. The league was so top-heavy last year with BYU, TCU and Utah that everyone just assumed the rest of the conference wasn't worth anything. However, as you'll see soon, that wasn't the case.

C-USA Eastern Division

2009-06-19T18:02:00.000-07:00

This is one conference that had some teams play well above their potential (Rice, ECU, Tulsa) and others that fell far below expectations (SMU, Houston, Southern Miss). Now, in 2009, there really is no clear-cut favorite because a lot of the big guns left school early as did their QBs, but other key components return for certain programs. Anyhow, without a dominant recent program like Troy in the Sun Belt and Boise St. in the WAC, this year's title race is wide open.

East Carolina- The defense is the main place to start here with superstar FS Van Eskridge and with a little help from CBs Dekota Marshall and Travis Simmons, this could be one of the country's best secondaries. Nick Simmons and Jeremy Chambliss are also quality LBs and with an experienced DL returning, ECU will have an outstanding defense. DL Jay Ross and CJ Wilson will probably make All C-USA if they stay healthy and the rest will be up to the offense. The offense needs to stay on track with a challenging schedule that includes at WV, UNC and home to VA Tech. While they could obviously win all three games, two wins there is more reasonable. Patrick Pinkney is an experienced QB who should do very well, especially with Darryl Freeney, Jamar Bryant and Dwayne Harris all quality WRs. If RB Norman Whitley remains suspended it may not matter thanks to Dominique Lindsay and Brandon Jackson, a very talented transfer frm Kentucky. The OL returns intact which means ECU could start well and gain momentum early. ECU could get to 9 or 10 wins by the end of the season, but I see a C-USA that is far too challenging colliding with a brutal non-conference schedule as well. I'll go with 8 wins.

Marshall- The Thundering Herd barely lost three games last year and could have easily been bowl-eligible, but they will only go as far as their QBs take them. Whether it's Brian Anderson or Mark Cann, whoever wins the job will have All-American candidate Cody Slate at TE to throw to. Darius Marshall will need to continue his productivity at TB and if he can, the offense should be ok. However, the Herd will need someone to take the pressure off of Slate and that man could be WR Bryant Milligan. If not Milligan, then JUCO transfer Charles Walker or Courtney Edmondson will need to step up their game. Mario Harvey and Brandon Burns should be the leaders of the defense at LB, but the efficiency of the defense will depend upon starting CBs DeQuan Bembry and TJ Drakeford. Each player had 1 INT apiece and that just will not do in C-USA. Only 2 picks from your starting CBs is awful. The DEs are also outstanding so the Herd should be an improving team and will only be helped by having very dependable players at K and P also returning. The non-conference schedule isn't too brutal, but home games with SMU and UAB will determine whether they go past the break even point. I'll call for 6 wins.

Memphis- This must have been the hot city to go to two years ago because the Tigers are acquiring a lot of depth at already strong positions thanks to transfers. Miami (FL) transfers Jermaine McKenzie (WR) and DajLeon Farr (TE) will arrive to help out the fantastic duo of Duke Calhoun and Carlos Singleton. Singleton has the potential to be a dominant wideout ala Jarrett Dillard at Rice, but he hasn't had that one magical season yet. He may have that in 2009 thanks to Arkelon Hall returning, who had ok numbers, but will need to do much better with a talented receiving duo. This may be hard because only one OL returns and not just Hall will be affected, but Curtis Steele, who had a 1,000 yard season last year. If the running game can't produce, a very talented offense may go in a tailspin. The Tigers will get help in the secondary from Auburn transfer DeRon Furr and they may need it because CBs DA Griffin and Deante Lamar had less productivity than Marshall's starting CBs (just one INT here total). The good news is all of the LBs return and Derrick Odom comes in from LSU to help bolster the group. Memphis is yet another team I see going 2-2 in non-conference play from this division, but the road game at Middle Tennessee is not a given. The best Memphis can hope for is 5 wins, maybe 6, if they pull off a road upset. However, I see 4 most realistic, 3 if they can't get by MT.

Southern Miss- The Golden Eagles have a very healthy offense returning, but they do lose one key starter in TE Shawn Nelson. That could be a key loss if DeAndre Brown isn't healthy after his horrific bowl injury. However, Brown should be fine, and with Nelson gone, WRs Freddie Parham and Gerald Baptiste should produce good numbers, especially with Brown drawing double-coverage from other teams. With the entire OL returning, QB Austin Davis should keep his impressive numbers and stud RB Damion Fletcher could easily top 1500-1700 yards and have good receiving numbers. The Eagles have a very good defense returning, and may want to consider adding a Rover position instead of a 3rd LB to get Justin Wilson into the lineup more since he had 4 INTs with limited amount of starts. Wilson could be backing up Chico Hunter and besides those two, the secondary is outstanding thanks to CBs CJ Bailey and Andre Watson. That will help a lot in the pass-happy, high-octane C-USA. The DL is deep and talented, but two new starting LBs will have to produce for the Eagles to improve on their 7 wins from last year. A road game at Houston and the finale at ECU will go a long way in determining the conference champ, but I see ECU coming through in that game. However, if Souther Miss takes care of business in their other conference games, they may still come away as Eastern Division champs. UVa, Kansas and Louisville are not easy non-conference games, but the Eagles could come away 3-0, the biggie will be Kansas. However, I call for a slip up or two and for ECU to win the East division, which means 8 wins for Southern Miss.

UAB- I haven't seen a team that relies on one player this much since Ramon Flanigan was playing at SMU in the early-to-mid 90s. QB Joe Webb has one last shot at leading his Blazers to a bowl game and this may be his best shot with a deep, but not spectacular group of receivers coming back and potential 1,000 yard rusher Rashaud Slaughter. The key for Webb will be making plays with his feet and getting the ball to do-it-all WR Frantrell Forrest who could surpass 1500 yards all purpose with his KRs added in. Since the entire offense returns, all 11 starters, the entire unit can only get better. The Blazers have some solid players on defense, but no one returning who will scare opposing offenses. The DL returns intact, but that area needs a lot of improvement for this team to be successful. Terrell Springs was underwhelming at CB last year, but Brandon Carlisle did well in limited action, so if the pass D can hold up in a few games, UAB may pull an upset. The LBs are also hit-or-miss but I like this team's potential. Webb can only improve on a 10-to-16 TD-to-INT ratio and Rice and SMU are winnable home games to start the season. If they can beat Troy or Texas A&M on the road in the next two, then a .500 season is not too far-fetched. While they will probably get 4 wins, 5 at most, I see a bowl-eligibility season coming if the team gels quickly.

UCF- With the Knights losing QB Michael Greco due to his move to DB, the offense may be in good shape since incumbent Rob Calabrese won't have to worry about being pulled for a more experienced player. Calabrese will need WR Brian Watters or Kamar Aiken to step up to be really efficient through the air. This is even more important because the RBs are ok, but not necessarily reliable. Brynn Harvey and Ronnie Weaver are the RBs right now, but one needs to emerge as a feature back. UCF doesn't need another Kevin Smith, although that certainly wouldn't hurt matters, but just one player who can take the bulk of the carries and gain 1,000 yards would work wonders. Having a patchwork OL with two possible freshman starting won't help. DEs Jarvig Geathers and Bruce Miller are outstanding DEs and they will need to keep up their impressive sack totals because UCF loses a lot of experience in the secondary. While FS Derrick Hallman may be a possible all-conference performer, he can't patrol the whole secondary. Lawrence Young and Chance Henderson are two dominant LBs, so the bulk of the Knights' success will depend on their front seven. Losing a great KR in Joe Burnett will also hurt UCF. Unless UCF pulls an upset against Miami (FL) they may have five certain losses because road games at Southern Miss, ECU and Texas and a homecoming date with Houston are very tough tasks. I hate to be negative because George O'Leary has been successful here, but I see 3-4 wins max. Hey, every conference has to have a bottom-feeder.

Hopefully in a few hours I will get to the west division, where the real meat-and-potatoes lies. That's where all the high-powered offenses really come into play and a ton of exciting games await anyone who has CSTV where their games are usually featured.

WAC Preview

2009-06-17T19:02:00.000-07:00

Well, this has been a one-horse league forever, and it's hard to see that changing anytime soon. Personally, I feel that two teams need to move to the Mountain West conference, preferably Nevada and Boise State and leave Fresno State and others to duel it out for the WAC title. Then, you promote Montana from Div I-AA and watch them become another Marshall as they flourish in a much lower-tier league. And if 11 teams is too much for the MWC without two divisions and a conference title game, then you move Fresno or relegate New Mexico or UNLV to the WAC. Too bad all of this will never happen. Anyways, let's get to the preview.

Boise St.- Uh oh, it looks like the alphabetical order setup dictates that we're shooting our wad early with the Broncos. This team should again dominate with a home game against Nevada and only one real road test, at Fresno St. standing in their way. Sophomore QB Kellen Moore may not improve much upon last year's stats with only good WR back, Austin Pettis back, but he does have a good TE in Kyle Efaw returning as well. Ian Johnson's dramatic drop-off in productivity last year was BSU's gain as Jeremy Avery proved to be a fabulous second banana. DJ Harper is another good back that will produce behind a good OL. The defense should still be good despite losing 6 starters and the strength is in the secondary with CBs Kyle Wilson and Brandyn Thompson and FS Jeron Johnson. Derrell Acrey is an ok LB, but Aaron Tevis was just as productive taking fewer snaps. They will need dramatic improvement at LB to remain a top-flight program. The DL can rush the passer, but they will need to stop the outstanding ground games of Nevada and Fresno State to win this conference again. I will call for 9 or 10 wins yet again for this program, but playing against the likes of Oregon and Tulsa will provide some tough tests.

Fresno St.- If the Bulldogs are smart they will rely on a good OL and the talented backfield trio of Lonyae Miller, Anthony Harding and Ryan Mathews to help the new QB, whoever it may be, ease into his new role. That backfield should make for one of the country's deepest units. Another bright spot for the new QB will be the return of Seyi Ajirotutu and Marlon Moore at WR, with Devon Wylie and Rashad Evans providing plenty of depth. The one thing that could derail the Bulldogs' season is the defense which was struggling during a four-game stretch against Toledo, UCLA, Idaho and Hawaii last season (149 points). Now, the offense was able to make up for that ineptness and win 3 of the 4 games, but they cannot rely on that again this season. They do return 8 starters, but the secondary is pitiful. Their leader in INTs had 2 and is projected to be a backup while the DL has potential at best, with only Chris Carter being able to rush the passer. The LBs also struggled to produce so without a ton of improvement I see a down season for this usually stable program. This may be pessimistic, but I call them for only 5 or 6 wins as the schedule is very tough and the WAC is improving each season, especially the teams at the bottom.

Hawaii- It's best to get the defense out of the way because the glaring weakness. It's not that Hawaii was bad defensively last season, they were actually not bad, but with 2 returning starters, expect a serious step backwards. The good news is they have DE John Fonoti who could be a rising star, but they will need Oregon State transfer Mana Silva and CBs Melvin Hopkins and Jeramy Bryant to find their way quickly as new starters. Hopefully, the Warriors' offense will be a lot more settled now that they have chosen Greg Alexander to be the starter at QB. He doesn't throw a lot of picks and is very accurate, so SB/WR Kealoha Pilares and WRs, Malcolm Lane, Greg Salas and Daniel Lofton could have monster seasons. Lofton could be a huge star as he has the pedigree of being James Lofton's son, a soon-to-be NFL Hall of Famer. I also like Leon Wright-Jackson at TB who could produce good numbers for a RB in this system. The OL needs to replace 2 OGs, so assuming they do that with even decent players, Alexander should have plenty of time to throw and approach 4,000 yards. This is an offense that should be just like Texas Tech's in how they keep producing effective passers. The schedule is rough with Boise State and Fresno State coming to the big island, games they would probably lose anyways, and road games at UNLV, Louisiana Tech, Nevada and San Jose St. How they handle those tests will determine if they get to my max prediction of 6-7 wins.

Idaho- The first thing to note here is that the Vandals really need to break a stretch of losing and gain just 4-5 wins to gain some momentum within the program. All this could be accomplished with winnable road games at New Mexico St. and Northern Illinois early in the season. San Diego St. will travel to the Kibble Dome and haven't been much of a threat in recent seasons so it remains to be seen what will happen there. RB Deonte' Jackson has major potential and should be used as more of a feature back with Princeton McCarty capable of spelling him when he needs a break. Nathan Enderle is a good QB and thankfully he has two good WRs returning because he loses all-world TE Eddie Williams. Idaho does lose 3 starters on the OL but they still have experience from their college careers, just not in 2008. Isaac Butts should be the leader on defense as he is a CB with a lot of potential and decent size at 6". Virdell Larkins should continue to provide range at FS, but JoJo Dickson and Robert Siavii need to produce at LB for this defense to be solid, especially with a lot of good running teams around the conference. There are no outstanding pass rushers coming back, so if they can't get to the passer, that will only hurt the secondary and could cost them a few games. This is a team that has little room for error and I will call for 4-5 wins at best, but if things start going wrong early, that might be optimistic.

Louisiana Tech- The key for the Bulldogs will be finding a viable backup to take the pressure off of all-conference RB Daniel Porter, especially with all 5 starters on the OL returning. If Myke Compton doesn't fit that bill, then it should be time to turn to incoming freshman Tyrone Duplessis who not only ran track in HS but was a highly-rated all-purpose back by Rivals.com. Ross Jenkins returns at QB and will only improve with experience, but RP Stuart and Cruz Williams needs to emerge as another threat at WR to compliment Phillip Livas. I think LT will be fine on defense despite losing two good starters at LB and having no returning CBs. I think Terry Carter will be fine at one corner and with Deon Young and Antonio Baker returning at the safety spots, the secondary might surprisingly be a strength. The DL is very good as they have productivity in numbers rather than just a single star. Losing a starting K always looks bad, but when that K only hit 50% of FGs, then it's a good thing and Livas is a stud returning kicks and punts. Assuming they win at Navy they should go .500 in non-conference and all their conference road games are winnable, but at Fresno and Nevada won't be easy. If they break even on those two, I see possibly 8 wins, although 6-7 looks more likely.

Nevada- This Wolf Pack team has a legitimate shot at breaking Boise St.'s stranglehold on the conference. Even though they have to travel to the blue turf, the defense is good enough to hold up this season. DEs Dontay Moch and Kevin Basped are two of the nations best at getting to the passer and despite an inexperienced LB corps, the secondary will help the defense stay strong. Mo Harvey and Jonathon Amaya are good safeties who make QBs pay for bad decisions and Isaiah Frey and Antoine Thompson are good cover corners. Assuming the defense keeps the plot and holds steady, Nevada will have an outstanding season. On offense, if Luke Lippincott can return to his 2007 form, then he, Vai Taua, and QB Colin Kaepernick may be the best three running threats on one team in the country. Taua and Kaepernick combined for over 2,600 yards, 32 TDs and both averaged over 6 yards per carry. They lose two starters on the OL but a JUCO transfer and new C Kenneth Ackerman, who has started at G before, will ease the transition. The question is, why would Nevada throw unless they have to? They do have a solid TE in Virgil Green and Chris Wellington is a viable deep threat, but the Wolf Pack need to just wear down teams on the DL and they should do fine. A road game at Notre Dame and Missouri at home seem like two key tests, but Missouri has upset potential written all over it as the Tigers have no QB with real experience. If Nevada can stay focused and not look ahead to Nov. 27th when they play at Boise St., then 10-11 wins is well within their grasp. The key will be the defense staying strong as the offense should continue to flourish.

New Mexico St.- The Aggies will have a rough season in 2009 as their head coach is relying on a lot of JUCO transfers to fill in the holes and while that can work well for a limited time, it's not good for the program's long-term goals. The other problem is, Jeff Fleming, one of those transfers expected to fill in at QB, has a daunting task of replacing Chase Holbrook, who was amazingly efficient for a QB on a bad team. The good news is Marquell Colston and Tonny Glynn could be decent RBs if they got more carries and Marcus Anderson is a solid #1 WR. Julius Fleming is the only WR with any real experience, so two JUCO players in William Bullock and Marcus Allen better learn the system right away or this will be a horrific offense. The OL is decent, but Jeff Fleming better not take too much time while he's in the pocket. The defense only has one plus, and that is return of 3 starting LBs, but when you consider this defense allowed 30+ points nine times, that's not necessarily a good thing. Davon House is a solid CB but unless Jonte Green can shutdown the other side, the defense will get eaten alive again. The first two games will be the key point in NMSU season as they play Idaho and Prairie View A&M at home, which could result in wins, but then things go downhill. New Mexico and San Diego St. may be winnable games if the Aggies got them in Las Cruces, but on the road are more than likely losses. I'll call 1-2 wins being optimistic unless they pull a shocking upset or two.

San Jose St.- The Spartans are a very confusing team because they have most of the pieces on defense to succeed, but the offense was just pitiful last year. Carl and Duke Ihenacho were two of the best defenders on any team in the country last year and should remain All-WAC candidates again this year. DT Adonis Davis and DE Mohamed Marah should increase their production this year, and assuming they do that, the new CBs will be helped out immensely. Brandon Driver should provide immediate help as a JUCO transfer and should get a lot of help from Duke Ihenacho who plays the same type of position Brian Uhrlacher did when he was at New Mexico (which means he will be everywhere). The offense, on the other hand, may have some problems getting started despite the return of Kyle Reed as a starter. Reed never developed much of a flow as a starter last year and needs to be more efficient than 6 yards a pass attempt. Having WR Terrance Williams and Kevin Jurovich back should help him achieve that goal, but not as much as having his entire OL back to protect him and RB Patrick Perry finally healthy. Perry should team up with another JUCO, Lamon Muldrow to make for an exciting running game. Muldrow doesn't have top-flight speed, but the ground game should be focused on wearing down opponents and setting up an efficient passing game. The non-conference is tough but a win at Stanford or at home to Utah will set them up nicely. All of their home games should be wins, except Nevada who will be a tough test while going 2-2 on the road in the conference should actually be a positive as none of the road tests are easy. I'll call for a break-even season, maybe 7 wins. This all depens on Reed though and how he progresses with his WRs.

Utah St.- This is truly the wildcard team of the WAC because they will only go as far as QB Diondre Borel takes them. He has a lot of help surrounding him at the WR spot with strength in numbers thanks to Nnamdi Gachem, Stanley Morrison, Omar Sawyer and TE Doug Barbour. The running game should be ok with newcomer Michael Smith, but I would prefer to see them stick with Robert Turbin or Curtis Marsh who weren't bad. The main threat on the ground could still be Borel, but he needs to limit how many hits he takes because if he's gone, so goes the Aggies season. The defense, much like a lot of other teams in the WAC will depend on the secondary and a new CB from the JUCO ranks; this time it's Rajric Coleman. He steps into an ok position where FS James Brindley is very consistent and he can learn from Kejon Murphy, a good cover man. The DL, much like the WR corps, has no stars but a lot of depth and will provide solid play. The LBs should be good thanks to Paul Igboeli and Bobby Wagner. The schedule looks a bit rough but if they can shock fellow Aggies Texas A&M (not out of the realm of possibility) they will start 2-2 before a rough WAC schedule. They get no favors hosting 4 of the top 5 teams in the WAC and going to Idaho and Hawaii, which will be crucial games. If they win at New Mexico State and split HI/ID, I'll call for maybe 6 wins, but 4 looks realistic. It's too bad because this team has a lot of potential too.

Well, tomorrow we break down C-USA, most likely the Eastern division which has a lot of talented teams looking to climb towards the top.

MAC (Western Division)

2009-06-16T23:44:00.000-07:00

Ok, so we're back for the second half of the MAC preview. This is where the teams with the most potential reside, but it remains to be seen if the big boys can put the talent together and make a run at the top 25. I don't think any team in the entire conference should be really dominant and there will be more parody and uncertainty than this conference has seen in a long time. Let's start with last year's darlings...

Ball St.- The Cardinals have the misfortune of losing Nate Davis at QB, but they may be the luckiest team in America because they have 3 non-conference games that are very winnable. North Texas, New Hampshire and at Army isn't exactly a litmus test for determining if a team is great, but we will see how well they fare without Davis at least. The good news is whoever starts will have fabulous TB MiQuale Lewis back to run all over the place and take up most of the workload on offense. The bad news is the OL is very inexperienced, so Lewis could have a major drop in production. Briggs Orsbon and Daniel Ifft may be outstanding receivers, but if the QB doesn't have time to throw or Lewis is ineffective, the offense could go downhill fast. On defense, the Cardinals get a ton of experience back at the DL and some quality LBs (despite losing 2 starters), but have no CBs returning. That is bad news for a division with three outstanding passers. I see only three truly winnable conference games and a tricky non-conference schedule with two unknowns in Army and North Texas. I'll call for 4-5 wins, 6 if they get lucky.

Central Michigan- The Chippewas could be the one team in the MAC that catches all the breaks scheduling-wise. Road games at Arizona, Michigan St. and BC may not be the easiest schedule, but they all lose starting QBs and have upset potential when CMU comes calling. QB Dan LeFevour is a do-it-all QB who can win a lot of games on his own, but hasn't come through in the big games as of late. His only big win recently was at Indiana, but that's because the Hoosiers had fallen apart completely. With no experienced RB, CMU could suffer, but receivers Bryan Anderson and Antonio Brown could top 1,000 yards each this season. CMU is strong defensively with 10 returning starters, but the secondary was not very impressive last season. DEs Frank Zombo and Sam Williams are great at rushing the passer and could cause havoc against the good QBs in the MAC, but that remains to be seen if it will enough. Assuming the defense comes together and the offense stays on course, CMU should get 7 wins easily, but the upside is 9 or 10 with a non-conference upset or two.

Eastern Michigan- Much like North Texas in the Sun Belt, EMU is the great unknown in the MAC because they are a bad team that could rise up and have a surprising season. QB Andy Schmitt improves every season, and with a 63% completion rate, 2-1 TD-to-INT ratio and outstanding receivers in Jacory Stone, Marvin Sanders, Dontayo Gage and DeAnthony White, this offensive could be explosive. Even the TE, Josh LeDuc is a dangerous target. If all that wasn't enough, they get 4 OL back and two solid RBs in Terrence Blevins and Dwayne Priest. I feel Blevins could be a 1,000 yard rusher if he got enough carries, but the offense is much more balanced and that probably won't happen. The defense has a good pass rusher in DE Brad Ohrman, but with 8 returning starters the defense will be more of a team effort than individual stars. CB Arrington Hicks could grow into a good cover corner, but with all the explosive receivers in the MAC West, the secondary will need to step up if they have any chance at finishing .500. Luckily for EMU, road games at Northern Illinois and Toledo are winnable, and so is Ball St. at home, but they need to win 2-of-3 against Kent St., Temple and Western Michigan to finish 7-5, which is their max potential. Army and Northwestern are also winnable non-conference games, but it remains to be seen if this team can get out of their losing tradition. I'll say 4 or 5 wins, but I'm rooting for a .500 season in Schmitt's final season.

Northern Illinois- The Huskies are a confusing team because they have two talented RBs in Me'co Brown and Justin Anderson, but never turned either loose to be a dominate runner. Instead, Chandler Harnish I feel hurt the team more than helped it last year by often times keeping the ball and running it himself. Nathan Palmer is a good returning receiver, but I have little faith in this offense because they were too conservative. The excuse could be that Chandler was just a freshman last year, but really, when I saw him play, he looked only good enough to be obviously weaker foes and got overwhelmed by truly good teams. The good news is they get DE Brandon Bice back to rush the passer, but the bad news is far worse; they lose both CBs and only have 4 starters back overall. Therefore, the defense which helped them get to a bowl game will not be nearly as strong. I just don't like NI's chances against a MAC conference that has plenty of high-powered offenses. Unless NIU can run the ball and limit posessions, it will be a long season. Only Western Illinois and Idaho seem to be gimmes, but Eastern Michigan and at Miami (OH) are winnable, but beyond that, it all depends on how the defense comes together. I'll call for 4 wins because they are usually well-coached and a .500 record would be a huge success.

Toledo- The Rockets have so many returning starters that it seems inevitable that they will top last year's 3 win total, which they will, but the early season could be rough. Purdue is winnable on the road, but not a gimme by any stretch and home against Colorado could also be a close game, but Ohio State is a definite loss. Therefore, if the Rockets start 0-3, things could collapse on their first-year coach Tim Beckman. Anyways, QB Aaron Opelt has superstar receiver Stephen Williams back, and if they can find another weapon or two on the flanks, the offense will be quite dangerous. RBs Morgan Williams and DaJuane Collins may provide the best 1-2 punch of any backfield in the MAC and with the entire OL returning, Toledo will outscore a few teams when they have to. The Rockets have a lot of returning starters on defense, especially at LB and will need a lot of leadership from Archie Donald, Daris Quinn and Barry Church. The secondary may end up ok, but the pass rush will need to produce more than 2 sacks for their individual leader. If the defense can't get to all the talented QBs, I see a 5-7 record. Temple, Western Michigan and Eastern Michigan are not easy games by any stretch so any loss of confidence will hurt.

Western Michigan- It will be a heavy task for Tim Hiller to replicate his 3700 yards and 36 TDs from last year without three of his favorite receivers returning. However, he does have outstanding TB Brandon West returning, along with his capable backup Aaron Winchester, and the reliable Juan Nunez at WR. However, even with all the losses at wideout, they do have a strong OL returning. But, the main problems will be on defense. First, the positives are they get DE Justin Braska who will disrupt any good offense with his speed and agility while LB Austin Pritchard should be an easy All-MAC selection. The problems will be in the secondary where only FS Mario Armstrong has any real experience. The good news with the scheduling is they could cruise to 4-1 or even 5-0 at home, but the road is killer going to Eastern Michigan, NIU and Toledo. All three games could end up in losses, even though WM is probably better than all of them. I have no reason to say with any conviction they will win more than 7 games. It could be a bad season for a program that has been very consistent the last 4 years. And by bad I mean 5 wins, which is not too tragic.

Ok, tune in tomorrow where hopefully I will get through the entire WAC conference, which has two real contenders and a bunch of other squads just praying to achieve bowl eligibility.

MAC (Eastern Division)

2009-06-15T17:27:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are, back for another round. This is finally not the weakest conference in Div I-A thanks to the Sun Belt and the emergence of Ball St., Central Michigan, Buffalo and Northern Illinois over the last decade or so. Of course, we can't forget Toledo either, who played in the first ever OT game in Div I-A, winning the game over Nevada thanks to Wasean Tait. Anyhow, all that is not relevant now, it's about 2009. So, let's get on with the bigger, but possible lesser talented MAC East.

Akron- Well, the main question here is how much the loss of Dennis Kennedy at RB will hurt the Zips. QB Chris Jacquemain is an underrated player in a conference that is known for producing quality NFL QBs. Now, I'm not saying he will be the next Pennington or Roethlisberger, but at 58%, 20 TDs and over 2700 yards, he's keeping a once-fledgling program above water. Akron used to be at the bottom of the MAC but thanks to recent years they have become much more competitive and should remain so with Deryn Bowser, Jeremy Bruce and Andre Jones at WR. The only plus for whoever finds his way starting at TB is the return of 4 quality OL and a good passing attack to take the pressure off of him. The defense will be in trouble because the 2 DEs that do return are good, but not great and starting CB Miguel Graham is the only real standout. Mike Thomas is also a solid player, covering all areas of the field, but this defense wasn't a strength in 2008, so I have little faith for '09. The schedule is balanced with some tough road games and some gimmes at home, but I see 4-5 wins at best in this ever-improving MAC.

Bowling Green- The Falcons seem to be a program that consistently puts up good win totals but never quite gets into the territory Marshall rocketed to in the late 90s where they are consistently feared, year in, year out. Northern Illinois and Central Michigan have occupied the same position as of late, but BG only gets close, and that seems to be the case this season. If anything, BG may regress unless a defense that has two outstanding safeties returning and LB Jerett Sanderson being a leader by example is enough. Angelo Magnone could be a decent DE and productive enough, but the real pressure is on the offense. Tyler Sheehan has all the talent to lead BG back to a bowl game and his receivers are good, but need to produce more TDs. The loss of Corey Partridge, a dependable starter for a few years really hurts, but Freddie Barnes could be a breakout star. The only way for the passing game to gel however is for RBs Chris Bullock and Willie Geter to dominate games. Together, the two combined for about 5 yards a pop, which is very efficient, and if that continues, the Eagles will be explosive. The key will be how BG starts, playing Troy and at Marshall for two winnable games in their first 4. However, I see the toughest tests coming at home and no guaranteed road victories. I still think they could get to .500, maybe even 7-5, but 4 or 5 wins at best seems realistic.

Buffalo- You have to give Turner Gill credit. He took a program that didn't seem ready for Div I-A and turned them into winners the last two seasons. Now the question is whether or not they can maintain that success without QB Drew Willy. Sophomore Zach Maynard may not be ready for primetime at QB, but with TB James Starks and the explosive Naaman Roosevelt at WR, he has a great supporting cast that can only help his learning curve. The OL only has 2 returnees, so the running game will be a concern without a proven passer under center. One positive is the defense returns 8 starters, which could help them win games early while the offense finds its rhythm. Then again, the defense was hardly impressive last season, even allowing Temple, who seemed to be in a coma offensively most of the season, to put up good yards and points. Their sack total was borderline reprehensible, something Tedy Bruschi or Rob Waldrop would have had at Arizona in the mid-90s by mid-season. Anyways, that's enough badgering of the defense, because I can't say anything nice about them except hopefully another season will help. Anyways, the schedule is not bad, but a loss at UTEP could create a bad feeling and then Pitt at home and UCF on the road are not cupcakes. I think everything hinges on how they start the season and I don't see things going well. Plus, playing Central and Western Michigan from the MAC West does not help them. I see 4-5 wins, but the main wildcard is Maynard. If he grasps the offense quickly, the East is not very top-heavy, so 7-8 is realistic as well. Who knows really.

Kent St.- It seems crazy to think that the Golden Flashes could get better after losing do-it-all QB Julius Edelman, but that may just be the case. Giorgio Morgan is a reliable QB who should do well, as long as he doesn't forget how to hand the ball to All-America caliber RB Eugene Jarvis. I think Jarvis tops 1500 yards easy, maybe 2000 if he becomes the focus of the offense. The receivers will get plenty of help with Iowa transfer Anthony Bowman while the rest of the group may not be spectacular, they are reliable, which is all Coach Martin could ask for in this run-dominant offense. They also lose only one OL which means they should still be good offensively. The DL is a major strength as well with Kevin Hogan, Sam Frist and Aaron Hull returning. The secondary is dependable, mostly thanks to S Brian Lainhart, and will help them win more than a few games. I can see a 4-2 start for the Flashes if they upset either Iowa St. or Boston College, the latter of which has become a distinct possibility since QB Dominique Davis' departure. I could see 7 or 8 wins and probably a .500 record in their future. They may not make my surprise teams list, but good things could come to Kent this fall.

Miami (OH)- Yet again, the major story will be the QB play. However, this time a key figure returns under center in Daniel Raudabaugh, who has all the talent and experience, but needs to cut down on interceptions big-time. Chris Givens and Dustin Woods are highly-capable receivers and they return 5 or 6 weapons on the flanks, and with Thomas Merriweather at TB, the offense could be one of the best in the MAC if they come together early in the season. The defense is the confusing issue for the Redhawks as they didn't allow very many yards through the air, but then again, they played a lot of teams who had below-average passing attacks. Without a lot of experience on D, the real issue all season will be if they can hold their opponents enough and not get worn down late in games. I would bet on that being a negative and despite a potentially high-powered offense, I call for 3 or 4 wins at best. This is also due to a very tough non-conference schedule.

Ohio- Ok, so I was reading Phil Steele's magazine and he had Theo Scott as the starter which means either Frank Solich and his OC are high, or they are complete idiots (or Steele is making a dumb prediction). There is no way in hell the Bobcats should be deviating from the Boo Jackson plan at QB because he has been outstanding because he creates a lot of plays with his feet, can pass well enough and has turned around a program that has been used to losing (except for 2006) much like Juice Williams at Illinois. Donte Harden are two very good RBs and the passing game has enough weapons at wideout to make up for the loss of dangerous TE Andrew Mooney. Mooney became one of those players last season whose reputation for being a receiving threat opened up holes in the defense for other receivers, so he will be missed. On defense, Lee Renfro and Noah Keller are good LBs and CB Thad Turner and S Steven Jackson can make this a strong unit. The DL may have plenty of returning contributors, but they will need to make more plays if they hope to contend for the MAC East title. I see Temple, Kent or Ohio coming out of the division with the crown so, Ohio has the advantage getting both of them at home. The good news for Ohio is they avoid all the directional Michigan teams in the MAC and even games at Ball St. and Buffalo aren't too bad since they will both be losing starting QBs. This all boils down to the Scott/Jackson situation; if Scott starts I call for 6-6 or 7-5 and a wide open MAC East race, but if Jackson gets the nod, they go 8-4, possibly climbing up to 9 wins and cruise to the MAC title game.

Temple- The good news for the Owls is despite losing a very good QB, Vaughn Charlton is an experienced replacement and Jason Harper and Dy'Onne Crudup are steady, but not outstanding receivers. I believe Delano Green could be another contributor at WR but the most important part of the offense is getting the ground game up and running. Syracuse transfer, and former LB Lamar McPherson apparently has the inside track at RB, but Kee-ayre Griffin and Joe Jones are not bad. The problem is they need to focus on running more and that may happen with 3 of 5 OL returning. The defense is the real strength however, as anyone would know who watched an Owls game last year. In six games last year the Owls allowed 12 points or less. The problem is they lost two of those games, but nonetheless, Jamal Schulters, Dominique Harris and Jaiquawn Jarrett make up 75% of the best secondary in the MAC. Heck, the fourth starter could be a midget and the secondary would be damn good. DE Junior Galette is a fierce pass-rusher and the front seven is very experienced and can tackle very well, which is rare with smaller programs. I think Temple is the most capable, and most logical contender for Ohio, but their offense has to improve immensely to be a real contender. They have three winnable non-conference games, but playing at Toledo, Akron and Ohio will be a tough test. If they pass, I see as many as 8 wins and a MAC East title.

Ok, when I return we shall dissect the MAC West together. Come back again soon.

Sun Belt Preview

2009-06-14T20:01:00.000-07:00

Oh yeah, it's time to get back to the college football world. Welcome to the mecca of college football discussion. You will get a breakdown of every single conference, every single team and just about everything you could want in Div I-A (I refuse to call it FBS because there are too many BS's in college football nowadays). You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll hurl. Wait, wasn't that on the movie poster for Wayne's World? Anyways, the best part about all of this is you get everything for free. So, let's skip the foreplay and get into the teams.

Arkansas St.- Well, this team could be good once again, a possible darkhorse for the Sun Belt crown. With Reggie Arnold back again at TB and Corey Leonard at QB they could be a scare for Nebraska and Iowa on the road, although it will be hard to duplicate any upset road victories like the one they pulled at Texas A&M last year. With a good secondary and a dominant DE in Alex Carrington (10.5 sacks) they will have a good shot at taking down Florida Atlantic and Troy, the two most dominant teams in the Sun Belt the last few years. They will need to step things up on special teams after being subpar in KR and PR and losing their punter. The K they do have is consistent and one of the best, but they will have to get by Troy in late September to have a good shot at the title. The Red Wolves' best bet is to lean on Arnold and keep the offensive balanced with most of their receivers returning. I could see 7-5 or 8-4 in their future.

Florida Atlantic- Just the fact that QB Rusty Smith and WR Cortez Gent are still around makes me feel old. Those two are a great combo and with TEs Jason Harmon and Jamari Grant back to help out the passing game, Smith could easily surpass 3,500 yards. Heck, he may have to with a running game that is very inexperienced. The fact that this program has back-to-back bowl wins would make one think they are on the rise. However, all of that momentum may be halted by a defense that loses a ton of starters. The secondary may be able to recover and do well, but the front 7 will take awhile to gel. They couldn't rush the passer last year and likely won't do that this season unless a star emerges. The schedule also does not favor them going to Louisiana and Troy while finishing the season with a good up-and-coming FIU squad. I predict 6-6 or 7-5, even with Wyoming and UAB on the schedule, both winnable games.

Florida International- Well, the bad news is that the Panthers lost their top 2 rushers from last season. The good news; their running game sucked anyways, so they can only improve. Besides that, with a stud like TY Hilton at wideout, they won't need to run too much. Hilton will be a lesser-known version of Ted Ginn Jr. as he can return kicks and punts and average a good 20+ yard plus per reception (I spared USC fans some pain by not comparing him to R. Jay Soward). They have 10 offensive starters back, including the entire OL, which should help the run game. Also, an experienced passer in Paul McCall means the offense should improve. The defense may not be as strong with a DL that needs immediate help, but a strong secondary may bend but not break during the conference schedule. The non-conference is brutal playing at Alabama, Rutgers and Florida. Anthony Gaitor is a potential All-American at CB but the team will go only as far as McCall's arm and Hilton's speed takes them. I say 5-7, with an upside of 7-5 max.

Louisiana Ragin' Cajun- This program should thank the lord they have a good OL returning and a defense that should keep them competitive. Losing QB Michael Desormeaux, RB Tyrell Fenroy and WR Jason Cherry will be tough to replace. That may be the biggest collection of losses on offense for any one team because it's much tougher for a club in the Sun Belt to just replace three standouts. Brad McGuire looked decent when playing but he has a tough job with no real experienced RBs returning. The question is whether or not the strength of the receiving corps, relative to the rest of the offense, dictates a more down-the-field approach rather than ball-control and option. The defense is in good hands with a great set of LBs returning, a strong DL and only losing a SS in the secondary. The defense was a bit shaky at times, making them underachieve, but returning so many starters should help them make tremendous strides. Catching Kansas State in week 2 without Josh Freeman at QB for the Wildcats is a big break. The real problem will be going to FIU, Arkansas St. and Middle Tennessee for three consecutive weeks late in the season. Although the defense could carry them to a .500 season, the offense is on life support. I'll call for 3-9 or 4-8.

Middle Tennessee- Maybe it was dropping the state from the end of their name, but whatever it is, this program has not been the same since being a perennial power in Div I-AA before they stepped up divisions. While Dwight Dasher did not look good at QB in mop-up duty last year, he has looked impressive before in his college career and the rest of the offense returns intact. Phillip Tanner is an underrated RB and he has 5 good receivers coming back. While only one receiver had a good yards per catch average, the offense should be explosive as long as Dasher matures and regains his confidence. Their defense loses 3 good LBs, including one standout, which is never a good sign, but as seems to be the norm in this conference, they return a strong secondary. They have some good DL who can get to the QB and what they lack in superstars, they make up for in productivity. Despite a brutal non-conference schedule where they probably will come away with zero wins, they only need get by Troy and FAU on the road to have a good shot at the conference title. However, I see a bad start with their schedule that they won't be able to recover from until it's too late. I'll go 6-6 with an upside of 7-5 if they get by both FAU and Troy.

North Texas- This is the great unknown in the Sun Belt conference. I see far better days ahead for the Mean Green, especially with the coach's son, Riley Dodge, set to take over at QB. Dodge can run and perhaps this offense should be a lot more run-oriented. While they shouldn't be a pure option club, a nice mix, such as the one Rich Rodriguez had set up at Tulane with Shaun King would work perfectly. Cam Montgomery is maybe the best RB in the conference and Micah Mosley and Lance Dunbar are very good backups. The receivers are not very experienced but will put up good numbers in this offense. Losing Casey Fitzgerald is something they cannot recover from with one player, so the entire starting OL that returns will have to give Dodge time to hit his targets and develop a good rhythm. Starting at Ball St. and home against Ohio won't be too difficult with a game against Army late in the season winnable. The team does return 9 starters on defense, but as bad as the defense was last year, that's not a good thing. They allowed under 40 points only twice. TWICE!! The LBs are strong but the secondary is shaky at best. I don't see a huge upgrade in wins right away, but they will be much more competitive, so I'll go 4-8 with an upside of 6-6 if they go 2-2 in non-conference. However, that is being very optimistic to say the least.

Troy- This will be another strong squad led by Larry Blakeney and as long as the defense can patch up a few holes in the secondary, they will cruise to another conference title. The LBs are outstanding and the DL can rush the passer like no one else in the SBC. The offense has a strong leader in Levi Brown at QB and various threats at WR including Jerrel Jernigan, RB DuJuan Harris and OK transfer Josh Jarboe is expected to be a big contributor. The OL is good, but they don't have either of their tackles returning so if the protection falters and Brown has no time to throw, the Trojans may struggle. However, this is not very likely, and playing at Bowling Green and home against UAB provides a manageable non-conference schedule. They have to play at Arkansas St. early in the season and a loss could derail their title chances. Despite Troy's experience and pedigree, I see the ASU-Troy tilt as being the title decider and the Red Wolves coming out on top. I think Troy could still finish 7-5, maybe even 9-3, but that's with all the breaks going their way.

ULM- The Warhawks may lose a very good leader in QB Kinsmon Lancaster, but Trey Revell is a good dual-threat option who should fill in nicely. Frank Goodin is a fantastic runner and receiver out of the backfield and Darrell McNeal could be a stud at WR if they let him loose. Anthony McCall is another good receiver, but losing TE Zeek Zacharie will hurt their productivity somewhat. The OL returns 4 of 5 so they should protect Revell enough to find his plethora of weapons while still opening up holes for Goodin. The schedule is brutal going on the road to Texas, Arizona St. and Kentucky, plus they play SBC powers Troy and FAU away from home. The defense is not as solid as the offense, but DE Aaron Morgan can rush the passer and LB Cardia Jackson is a solid all-around player. The secondary is solid in every way possible, no real weaknesses, which will help immensely in this conference. I think 4-8 is realistic with a tough overall schedule, but the upside is 6-6 and that's about all.

Western Kentucky- Oh, where have you gone Willie Taggart. The former standout QB may have only thrown for 1,000 yards once, but he ran for nearly 4,000 during an illustrious career. This paved the way for a good recruiting class that produced a national title in 2002. This team will struggle immensely with no one of any experience at QB. They could win against Central Arkansas, but that's about it. They do get a star back at TB in Tyrell Hayden and two other contributors in Bobby Rainey and Marell Booker. Possibly the lone bright side for whoever starts at QB is they get an experienced group of receivers coming back. The depressing part is the defense where they return Blake Boyd and Darvis McBride, two very good LBs coming back, but little else. This will be a brutal season for Hilltoppers fans who may only experience one win, and not even from a Div I-A opponent. Bad times indeed.

Well, there's your first conference preview, check in down the road for the MAC.

Who Has the Best College Football Program of All-Time?

2009-03-29T22:39:00.000-07:00

First off, each conference with a legitimate representative should be used. This eliminates the ACC sadly because no matter how good Florida State is, their program has only been good a short amount of time compared to the others on this list. We are using the polls since 1936 to decide which national championships count. The UP (United Press) from 1950-57 counts, so does the AP (Associated Press) since 1936, INS (International News Service) from 1952-57, the UPI (United Press International) from 1958-90, the FW (Football Writers Association of America) from 1954-now, the NFF (National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame since 1991, and finally, the USA Today/CNN since 1991. Now, the criteria used will be the following…

National Championships and NC opportunities (broken down into 3 categories)

#1 vs. #2 Matchups in major bowl games for the NC. Outright national championships before 1968, when it was finally decided that AP polls for who should be NC would be taken after the bowl games. Every year before (except 1965) the NC was decided before the bowl games, which means you could be NC but lose your bowl game, and that makes no sense. If you split the national title, that counts, almost as much as an outright because at least the pollsters realized that the best team is subjective, and maybe two teams are the best but never played (USC and LSU in 2003). I cannot take into account EVERY single season where a #4 team could have jumped to #1 with all the losses had they won their bowl game, such as in 1983 when all that mess happened. Three of the top 5 teams lose, but a #5 Miami-FL leapfrogs a #3 Auburn. Huh? If Texas wins, ranked #2, they win the national title, but ifs are just that, ifs, and didn’t happen.

Ok, there will be no points system. I’m not going to arbitrarily decide that some national title should count for a 100 points and this for that many points or whatever, that’s BS. I could manipulate the points systems so that whoever wins by 7 points because they have the most Academic All-Americans or some BS. No, this will be stat based, but at the same time, the stats need to be examined in context, not just, hey they won a title, check. Also, no awards for individuals will be counted and this includes All-Americans, Academic All-Americans, Heismans and any other individual trophies, it’s all about teams, because this is about the greatest program in history, which to me means the most consistently great program that rarely has bad eras where they could not compete. Every program is allowed a bad year or two to rebuild based on rebuilding if they lost a great senior class or early draft picks, which happens a lot more now. But still, consistency is the key, as is how strong your conference is. If we go from 1935 on, the last year before the AP stepped in and started declaring national champions, look at the conference breakdowns of what programs have won national championships.

Big 10: Iowa (1958), Michigan (2), Minnesota (5), Michigan St. (3), Ohio State (7), and Penn State has 2, but none as a member of the Big 10.

Big 8: Oklahoma (7), Nebraska (5), and Colorado (1990).

SWC: SMU (1935), TCU (1938), Texas A&M (1939), Arkansas (1964) and Texas (4).

Pac-10: USC (7), UCLA (1954), Washington (1991)

SEC: Alabama (7), Tennessee (2), Florida (3), LSU (3), Auburn (1957), Ole Miss (1960) and Georgia (1980). Arkansas has not won a title since joining the SEC.

By this statistical evidence, the SEC and Big 10 would be the most well-rounded conferences, but the SEC has their national champions spread out over decades (every one since the 50s). I will also put how many wins each team that comes into consideration has, but this will be going since 1953 because that’s the most comprehensive and accurate info I could find. Bowl wins mean very little since you could have won the California Bowl but who cares, the major bowls are what matters, where you face the best competition. The Big 5 matter most (Cotton, Rose, Sugar, Orange and Fiesta), but the Fiesta only counts since the mid-80s, when Penn St.-Miami FL legitimized it as an important bowl game that could decide the national title.

Lastly, a team’s worst ten-year period since 1953 will be counted. It’s important as I mentioned earlier that a team has consistency. Losing records, very few bowl wins, a lack of high conference finishes, few AP poll appearances (at the end of the season) will be factored. I’ve broken down the criteria and who qualifies, here are the candidates: Alabama, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Southern Cal, and Texas. I give Michigan a break even though the criteria should be at least 4 national titles, which means Minnesota would make it over them. However, looking at winning from 1936-2008, Michigan is far superior.

Alabama: 7 national titles. Let’s look at them. Five of them have been split titles, in 1961, 1964, 1965, 1973 and 1978. Now, in the two taken before the bowl games, they won the Sugar Bowl over Arkansas in 1961, then lost in 1964 to Texas in the Orange Bowl. So, how many are legit? Well two are outright, no disputing those. In 1973 they won despite losing their bowl game. So, we can count 5 as truly legitimate. Their record since 1953: 460-182-18. Alabama is 2-1 in bowl games where they were in a #1 vs. #2 bowl matchup. They won in 1978 and 1992, but lost to Nebraska in 1971. Alabama has won 4 of the 5 major bowl games, losing their only Fiesta Bowl appearance in 1990 to a very good Louisville team, 34-7. Worst 10-year period: 1997-2006. They have one BCS appearance, losing to Michigan by one. They have six bowl appearances overall, 2 AP poll appearances, and 5 winning records. By all means that’s a good resume, especially considering how good the SEC has been forever, having won a national title in every decade since the 50s.

Michigan: 2 national titles. Now, the Wolverines have an impressive history, there’s no questioning that. However, they’ve never been in a #1 vs. #2 bowl matchup, so no groundbreaking victories to capture a NC and their 1948 title featured no bowl game. Also, their only title in the last 50 years is a split title. So, only one may really be legitimate and the other was 60 years ago. Their record since 1953: 447-171-12. They have won 3 of the 5 major bowls, but the 1985 Fiesta Bowl win was over a good, but not great 9-2 Nebraska team. From 1960 to 1990 they lost 7 Rose Bowls and won only 3, which is of course the premier bowl they could have gone to being in the Big 10. Their worst 10-year period was from 1958 to 1967 when they only had 4 winning records, 1 AP Poll appearance (1964, #4), and just one bowl appearance. This run was pretty bad, but after 1967 they only missed the final AP poll two times in the following seasons until 2004. It’s a resume that most programs would love to have, but then again, they have a lack of major bowl success and not as many national titles as the others.

Nebraska: 5 National titles. All of Nebraska’s national titles came as a result of polls taken after the bowl games and every single NC has been undefeated or unbeaten (11-0-1 in 1970). Now, in 1970, Ohio State and Texas split the title with Nebraska, but both of them won polls that were decided on before the bowl games, and both lost. Therefore, the ‘Huskers remained the only unbeaten team. They then won 3 of 4 undisputed national titles in 1994, 1995, and 1997. They also lost a #1 vs. #2 national title matchup in 1993 with Florida State, beat Alabama in 1971 in the Orange Bowl in a 1 vs. 2 and also lost to Miami in the BCS title game in 2001 (a game they probably shouldn’t have been in to begin with, being ranked #4 by the AP). Thusly, by losing in 1983 to Miami (FL), they have had plenty of legit national title opportunities and only one title, 1997, could really be considered controversial, splitting with Michigan. Their record since 1953: 484-170-7. The only Big 5 bowl they haven’t won is the Rose, having played in it just once. They are under .500 in the Big 5 bowl games, which isn’t impressive, but they have been to over 30 of them combined. Their worst 10-year period was from 1953-62 when they only had two winning seasons, and is easily the worst decade of the 7 teams up for consideration. The one positive for them was when they hired Bob Devaney at the end of that run (in 1962) they immediately turned the program around. The final verdict is it’s a great program, but that 10-year run was pretty bad, however, the lack of controversial NC helps a lot.

Ohio State: 7 national titles. Their first national title was in 1942, and they had a loss, but after the bowls, nobody was undefeated. In 1954 they won the national title again but split it with UCLA, however, of the 3 undefeated teams, they were the only ones to play a bowl game. In 1957 they swept 3 of the 4 major polls for the national title, but they split it with Auburn. The reverse happened in 1961 when they won one major poll, with Alabama taking the other three. In 1968 they were undefeated and swept every poll, but in 1970 they had the split with Nebraska and Texas and the poll was taken before the bowls. They also won the title in 2002 by beating Miami (FL) in the BCS title game. Therefore, only 3 of the titles may be undisputed, but another did have 3 of the 4 major polls. Their record since 1953: 470-143-13. The Buckeyes won the 1968 title in a #1 vs. #2 matchup with USC, then beat Miami (FL) in 2002 but lost a golden opportunity losing to Florida in 2006. They have had countless other national championship opportunities losing to Michigan so many times, but that’s neither here nor there. It was hard picking a 10-year lull for the Buckeyes because they had bad years from 1958-67, but also won a national title in 1961, so no there. 1983-1992 was their worst period, with just one Big 10 title, missing the final AP poll 4 times and their highest final ranking was #7. They also went 3-5 in bowls. The Buckeyes make another very good case, hardly ever having bad seasons for more than 5 years in a row and they also have plenty of titles, some controversial, some not.

Oklahoma: 7 National titles. Ok, the first Sooners title in 1950 is marred by an Orange Bowl loss to Maryland since the NC was decided before the bowls. However, every other top 5 team lost their bowl, so who would have taken their place? 1955 features no argument as they were undefeated and won their bowl. They didn’t get to play in a bowl after their 1956 title, but every top 5 team lost besides #5 Texas A&M, so again, no controversy. Oklahoma may have won an outright title in 1974, but they were on probation. Therefore, USC took 3 of the 4 major polls in 1974. In 1975 they had one loss and #2 Arizona State went undefeated, so why not the Sun Devils? In 1985, Oklahoma had one loss and was chosen over Michigan, since the Sooners beat #1 Penn St. in the Orange Bowl. The 2000 title was undisputed as that featured a BCS title win over Florida St. The 1-loss national titles are somewhat controversial, and so is the no bowl season, but the others are pretty cut and dry. Their record since 1953: 485-155-11. Oklahoma is one of the few teams to win the Big 5 bowl games, with the Rose and Cotton victories coming in the last decade. Regarding the issue of #1 vs. #2 bowl matchups, Oklahoma is an unimpressive 1-4, only winning in 2000. They lost to Miami (FL) in 1987, LSU in 2003, USC in 2004 (a massacre) and to Florida in 2008. Their worst ten-year period may have been the worst of any major program being considered. The 1990s were horrible, going to 4 bowl games, winning only 2. They finished in the final AP poll just three times (#16 in 1991 was the highest) and had five seasons where they either had a losing record or were just .500. Well, all things considered, Oklahoma has been very good and very consistent, but that run in the 1990s was awful. How can the greatest program in history have an off-decade? No other team was that bad for that long. OU fans should be grateful Bob Stoops stepped in to save them.

Southern Cal (USC): 7 national titles. Well, of the Trojans seven titles, 1962 was undisputed, having blownout #2 Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl (before the Badgers made a near-legendary comeback). In 1967, USC survived as the best 1-loss team and won their bowl, despite it being a pre-bowl poll NC. In 1972 they won their bowl and took an outright NC, as they did again in 1974, winning 3 of the 4 polls thanks to OU’s probation. In 1978, they only took one poll’s NC thanks to Alabama’s dominance, but who was the outright champion was controversial considering so many teams had one loss. They split the title in 2003 with LSU despite the BCS’s plans, but they were dominant in 2004, beating OU in the BCS title game. Therefore, thanks to OU’s probation, 4 of their titles should be undisputed, with 1967, 1978 and 2003 being either/or situations. Their record since 1953: 448-182-18. They have a very good Rose Bowl record at 15-6, helping their overall mark in the Big 5 bowl games, also having won the Cotton and Orange bowls (3-0 between the two bowls). They have only been to the Fiesta once and never to the Sugar, so that hurts their cause, but then again, generally when they were dominant, they went to the Rose Bowl. They have a very impressive resume of going into bowl matchups as either a 1 or a 2. They beat #2 Wisconsin in the 1962 Rose Bowl, then lost to Ohio State in 1968, but made up for it by crushing Oklahoma in 2004. However, they lost their last #1 vs. #2 Texas, but that was one of the great bowl games of all-time so, let’s cut them some slack. Their worst 10-year period was from 1991 to 2000, but still, they won the Cotton and Rose Bowls in back-to-back years, 1994 and 1995 (as well finishing #13 and #12, respectively). They also shared 2 Pac-10 titles. 1991 and 2000 featured losing seasons, but every other season had them at .500 or better, so for a bad stretch, it wasn’t bad at all. Now, considering the overall strength of those stats, USC can make a very good case, but then again, their conference may easily be the weakest of the bunch. Even though Oklahoma and Nebraska have weak competition, they still had to battle each other and Colorado, which were legit threats.

Texas: 4 National Titles. Despite only having 4 titles, the Longhorns still have some pretty good claims, considering in 1963 they beat #2 Navy and Heisman winner Roger Staubach convincingly in the Cotton Bowl. In 1969, after a grueling game with Arkansas ended with President Richard Nixon proclaiming the ‘Horns the NC, UT survived an amazing game with Notre Dame, 21-17. In 1970 they had a little less to brag about, splitting the NC with Nebraska and Ohio State. They also lost their bowl game to Notre Dame. In 2005 they survived maybe the greatest game of all-time, beating 2-time defending champs USC in the BCS title game, so three of the four titles are pretty undisputed. Only the 1970 title has reason for doubt, what with two other legit contenders. Their record since 1953: 457-180-10. Texas can claim 4 of the Big 5 bowls, but considering they’ve only played in the Sugar Bowl twice, they could easily have had them all. Nonetheless, they had numerous Cotton Bowl appearances during the SWC’s heyday, clinching numerous NCs and playing in some bowl games with major NC implications. Vince Young also led them to back-to-back Rose Bowls. They beat Navy in a #1 vs. #2 bowl game in 1963 and they also clinched some polls in 1969 by beating Arkansas in a #1 vs. #2 clash in December (since some polls still voted before the polls). There is also the 2005 BCS game, where enough has been said. The worst part for Texas is their 10-year drought from 1984 to 1993 where they only finished in the final AP poll once, 1990 (#12). They had four losing seasons, but the shining light is not just 4 bowl games, but making the then-prestigious Cotton Bowl in 1990, even though that game ended badly. In conclusion, that 10-year streak is inexcusable for a team that doesn’t have enough national titles to begin with to really be considered the best. The SWC was also getting a little weak at that point, especially with SMU getting the death penalty. Houston, Arkansas and Texas A&M had become very good however, so maybe the losing ways were to be expected.

After looking at all the evidence, every team has a very good record since 1953, so going by that is probably pointless, but it’s fun to compare who had the most wins (best win pct.). Also, even though national titles are subjective, Texas, Michigan and Nebraska get the axe. Nebraska was a tough cut to make, especially considering how indisputable their national titles really are. Still, they have had a good run since 1962, and that’s how they pile up most of their points. Then again, their titles come in spurts, back-to-back ones in the 70s, then 3 of 4 in the 90s, so it’s almost as if they have great spurts, then a 9-win season and a Big 5 loss (2-6 in Big 5 bowls from 1984 to 1992, and a Citrus Bowl loss to NC GA Tech in 1990). That won’t cut it.

Now, you have USC, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Alabama. Ohio State, I would love to choose you, it seems pretty wise, but then again, you have struggled so many times in big games and could do so much more to be an all-time program. While the Buckeyes had chances at winning NC if they could just beat Michigan numerous times, from 1980 to 2001 they basically went 22 seasons without having a shot at the NC come bowl season. USC, yeah very impressive, but I can’t get over the lack of real competition. Yes, Oregon is coming on, Stanford was good in the 70s, UW was great under Don James and UCLA has been consistent for decades, but only a handful of times was USC’s competition elite.

So, this leaves Alabama and OU. Now, Sooners fans, there’s no love lost, but let’s face it, the Big 8 wasn’t that great. I know Colorado has been good since the early 70s and Nebraska was on a roll for awhile, but Iowa State, Missouri, Kansas St. Those are some of the worst programs ever, hardly ever rising up for great seasons. Oklahoma State was only good sparingly, but never NC competition. Kansas has been good at times, but again, not NC worthy. Alabama meanwhile, they have had 6 other teams win NC. In the 2000s they had Florida and LSU win NC, which I realize wasn’t Alabama’s strongest decade. Still, besides Alabama’s title, Tennessee and Florida each won titles in the 90s, Georgia took one in the 80s and the Crimson Tide dominated the 70s. Before that, Ole Miss and Auburn would claim titles under great coaches like Johnny Vaught and Shug Jordan in the 50s and 60s. Auburn even deserved a title in 1993 but were on probation. Paul “Bear” Bryant saved this program in 1958 and the tradition he established delivered titles in the 60s, 70s and then resurrected itself under a Bryant protégé, Gene Stallings, in 1992. All of this coupled with the scandals and probation involved with the Oklahoma programs during some national title runs (’74), it’s hard to excuse the Sooners. Would they have won without cheating under Switzer’s reign, because NCAA officials were constantly snooping around? The probation doesn’t seal the deal, however, it’s the SEC competition, and considering what Alabama has been doing for decades, against all of that talent, makes them my greatest college football program since 1936 (the invention of the AP poll).

Mid-Season All-American Team

2008-10-19T18:50:00.000-07:00

If you're a hardcore college football fan, you'll know why each person is at each position, but still, I will offer some notes.
QB Colt McCoy, Texas- Shouldn't need much explanation. Has been arguably the best QB on the best team in the country. Honorable mention: 2nd Team Chase Clement, Rice 3rd Team Sam Bradford, Oklahoma Honorable Mention: Nate Davis, Ball St.
RB Miquale Lewis, Ball St. & Donald Brown, UConn- First off, Lewis has a 100-yard game in every contest except the opener (Northeastern) where a lot of the starters rested. He's also 6th in yards total, has more yards than in his 2 previous years and only one player has more TD runs. Brown is 2nd nationally in yards, 3rd in TDs, and 2nd in carries. He's been the heart & soul of the UConn offense in some tough games. 2nd Team Javon Ringer, Michigan State & Tyrell Fenroy, Louisiana-Lafayette 3rd Team Evan Royster, Penn State & Knowshon Moreno, UGa Honorable Mention: Shun White, Navy and Vai Taua, Nevada (filled in nicely for Luke Lippincott)
WR Jarrett Dillard, Rice and Michael Crabtree- These two speak for themselves on the field and are quiet off it; both in the top 11 nationally in receiving yards, TD catches and receptions. 2nd Team Aldrick Robinson, SMU and Eric Decker, Minnesota 3rd Team Austin Collie, BYU & Dez Bryant, Oklahoma Honorable Mention: Casey Fitzgerald, North Texas & Jordan Shipley, Texas
TE Mark Hafner, Houston- It was between him and Chase Coffman, but arguably Hafner doesn't have as good a WR to play off of as Coffman does with Maclin. In the top 10 in TD catches. 2nd Team Chase Coffman, Missouri 3rd Team Dennis Pitta, BYU Honorable Mention: Eddie Williams, Idaho
Ts Dallas Reynolds, BYU & Rylan Reed, Texas Tech- I went based on pure stats here and both tackles have kept their QBs virtually untouched. Max Hall of BYU had been sacked once before the TCU game and Graham Harrell once as well for TT. 2nd Team Michael Oher, Mississippi and Andre Smith, Alabama 3rd Team Alex Boone, Ohio State & Phil Loadholt, Oklahoma Honorable Mention: Sam Young, Notre Dame & Adam Ulatoski, Texas
Gs Cedric Dockery, Texas & Herman Johnson, LSU- Johnson has a huge responsibility protecting two unproven QBs for LSU, while Dockery is helping to provide huge holes for previously unproven Longhorn runners (including McCoy). 2nd Team Duke Robinson, Oklahoma & Steve Rehring, Ohio State 3rd Team Jeff Byars, USC & Seth Olsen, Iowa (have you seen TB Shonn Greene's numbers?) Honorable Mention: Jeremy Perry, Oregon State and John Jerry, Ole Miss
C Antoine Caldwell, Alabama- Helps in keeping John Parker Wilson safe and is providing the backbone for a strong Crimson Tide running game. 2nd Team AQ Shipley, Penn State 3rd Team Ryan McDonald, Illinois Honorable Mention: Jon Cooper, Oklahoma

DEFENSE
DE Brian Orakpo, Texas and Aaron Maybin, Penn State- Maybin has been great at getting to the QB and is leading a ferocious Nittany Lions' D. Orakpo may be the best defender in the country, getting to the QB at will and blowing up opponents RBs in the backfield. 2nd Team William VanDeSteeg, Minnesota & Paul Kruger, Utah 3rd Team Nick Reed, Oregon and Jake Paulson, Air Force (nation's leader in sacks through 7 weeks) Honorable Mention: Alex Carrington, Arkansas St. & Phillip Hunt, Houston
DT Cody Moore, TCU & Roy Miller, Texas- Moore has 7.5 TFL already this season and anchor's the nation's leading defense. Miller, meanwhile, anchors maybe the DL in college football and along with Orakpo has helped UT dominate all season. 2nd Team Sen'Derrick Marks, Auburn & Ryan Baker, Purdue 3rd Team Vance Walker, GT & Ted Laurent, Ole Miss Honorable Mention: Clinton McDonald, Memphis & Peter Tverdov, Rutgers
OLB Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri & Clint Sintim, Virginia- Weatherspoon has been the lone bright spot on an otherwise atrocious Mizzou offense, averaging nearly 2 TFL per game. Sintim has 7.5 TFL (through week 7) and has been a key senior leader on a UVa team searching for leaders. 2nd Team- Navarro Bowman, Penn State (8.5 TFL) & Quentin Davie, Northwestern 3rd Team Joe Henderson, UAB & Sergio Kindle Honorable Mention: Derek Burrell, Kent State (fifth in the nation in tackles per game) & Travis Lewis, Oklahoma
MLB Brit Miller, Illinois- Has 12.5 TFL (through 7 weeks, tied for 1st), 61 tackles and 4 sacks. FR for TD and INT while taking over for Illinois icon J Leman. 2nd Team- Scott McKillop, Pitt 3rd Team Derek Nicholson, Florida State Honorable Mention: Mike Tauiliili, Duke
CB Alphonso Smith, Wake Forest and Vontae Davis, Illinois- Smith has 3 INTs despite the fact no one will throw to him while Davis is an all-around great player (53 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 7 PBU, 3 FF) 2nd Team- Jairus Byrd, Oregon (top 2 in pass breakups and passes defended, 3 INTs) & Syd'Quan Thompson, Cal (3 INTs) 3rd Team- Anthony Gaitor, FIU & Kyle Wilson, Boise St. Honorable Mention: Malcolm Jenkins, Ohio St. & Victor "Macho" Harris, VA Tech
SS Eric Berry, Tennessee- Is he the best DB in the country? If not, he's close. 5 INTs for 175 yards (1 TD) 4.5 TFL, 2 sacks and 44 tackles. Team leader (as a sophomore) on a struggling Vols defense. 2nd Team Otis Wiley, Michigan St. 3rd Team- Trimane Goddard, UNC Honorable Mention: Brian Lainhart, Kent State (65 tackles, 2 FF, 4 INTs)
FS Daniel Charbonnet, Texas Tech- 42 tackles, 4 INTs (tied for nation's lead through week 7) and 5 passes broken up on a bend-but-don't-break Red Raider defense. 2nd Team Louis Delmas, Western Michigan (4 INTs for 98 yards and 1 TD) 3rd Team- Steven Coleman, TCU Honorable Mention: Taylor Mays, USC
K Josh Arauco, Arkansas St.- Is 12-for-12 so far on FGs and all 4 were important against Texas A&M in the Red Wolves huge upset. Brett Swenson, Michigan St. (15-for-16 FGs) 3rd Team Dustin Keys, VA Tech His FGs in 4th quarter were the difference against both GT and UNC. Honorable Mention: Jonathon Phillips, Florida
P Don't need one, this is a man's All-America team.

Week 7 Preview

2008-10-08T17:29:00.000-07:00

Alright, we're going hardcore this week, more picks than ever before. But first, some random observations about the season and the upcoming games this weekend.
I really didn't believe in Vanderbilt until last week. As I said, Nickson had to limit mistakes for them to win, and after falling behind 13-0, Mackenzi Adams comes in and leads the victory with smart decision-making. Don't expect them to lose to Mississippi St. this weekend, even though the Bulldogs will be a tough road test.

TCU, who's only blemish is to a very good Oklahoma squad on the road, best be careful at Colorado St. this week. Gartrell Jenkins is a very productive TB and HB/FB/TE Kory Sperry is one of the best in the hybrid role.

If it's on anywhere in your area, check out Buffalo vs. Western Michigan because Tim Hiller, Naaman Roosevelt, Drew Willy and Jamarko Simmons should help put a lot of points on the board. This isn't quite Rice/Tulsa offensive potential from last weekend, but I'd put the over under at about 65 or 70. Should be a fun game to watch.

New Mexico St. at Nevada should be interesting because the Aggies can get their season on track and it would be a vital win in their quest for bowl eligibility. If you had asked me before the season, the Aggies would have no chance, but that's before Luke Lippincott decided not to play this year. As good as Colin Kaepernick is in the versatile QB role, Chase Holbrook is maybe even better as a precision passer for the Aggies.

The teams who really need to turn around their seasons and have chances to do it this weekend; Virginia at home against ECU. UCLA on the road at Oregon. Arizona State at USC (yeah right for Sun Devils fans), Arkansas at Auburn and Purdue at Ohio State. I think only the Cavaliers have a good shot at winning their game, they looked impressive last week vs. Maryland. Ok, onto the picks. I'm 14-4 on the season so far, so let's hope that keeps up.

Clemson at #21 Wake Forest- I know I'll probably regret this later because Thursday night games dictate that an upset will happen. However, is it really an upset if Clemson wins? No, not really, they were supposed to be a top 10 team before the season and besides, WF knows how to win these close games. Besides, the Demon Deacons want revenge for last year's 44-10 shellacking. Just remember, that loss against Navy was an aberration, the Demon Deacons may not lose the rest of the year. WF 24 Clemson 20

Minnesota at Illinois- Illini CB Vontae Davis vs. Gophers' WR Eric Decker, now that's an elite matchup. Too bad it won't determine the entire game. Here's what we know; the Illini have had a brutal early schedule, a better running game than Minnesota and more experience in important games. This is where Illinois can make a statement, by proving the Gophers are frauds. Will they? Yes, but it won't be easy from the first whistle, but talent and experience will prevail. Illinois 37 Minnesota 28

South Carolina at Kentucky- Was the Ole Miss defense really that bad last weekend? I mean come on, even Wofford didn't allow the Gamecocks to score 30 points. This is a tough game because the Gamecocks often times have trouble scoring and moving the ball, but looked good last week, while UK was just the opposite last week. Kentucky's good offense looked horrible vs. Alabama and saved itself with a late TD. I'm taking the Gamecocks because I think their offense is finally healthy and they may be ready to play some decent football (I'm nuts for this pick). South Carolina 20 Kentucky 14

#5 Texas vs. #1 Oklahoma- Oh no, can't we delay this game, like, until after the national championship game has been played. The Longhorns don't have much of a shot. The Sooners have a balanced offense, a good defense, and all the intangibles. UT has well, two good WRs and Colt McCoy. The young, but talented UT secondary isn't ready for Iglesias and Johnson on the outside, and if they can somehow contain them, who will stop TE Gresham. Unless McCoy channels his inner Vince Young, this game will be over by the start of the 4th quarter. Oklahoma 42 Texas 27

Nebraska at #7 Texas Tech- Ha! If Nebraska couldn't stop Missouri, why will they do it against Texas Tech? I only mention this game because my nephews and their dad will be at the game, die-hard 'Huskers fans that they are, it's their first game. Too bad it won't be a fun experience. Set low expectations Nebraska fans. Texas Tech 56 Nebraska 33

#23 Michigan St. at Northwestern- Possibly the most intriguing game of the weekend for serious college football fans. Javon Ringer has been a beast, and easily the Heisman candidate getting the least amount of respect (besides BYU QB Max Hall). Can he help the Spartans win at Northwestern, especially with QB Brian Hoyer and WR Mark Dell not living up to their abilities on offense for MSU? I think common sense says the Spartans are more talented, and usually heart and determination only get you so far, but with Wildcats' TB Tyrell Sutton, I think this is a special season. Along with an underrated defense, smart QB CJ Bacher and efficient WRs, the Wildcats pull off the upset. Northwestern 26 Michigan St. 23

Notre Dame at #22 North Carolina- Two teams that had all the potential to be surprise picks in their own right, going from young squads that lost a lot of close games to serious bowl contenders. Jimmy Clausen has been on fire, and people around the country love Golden Tate for the Irish. Me, I love the Tar Heels heart, coming back against Miami (FL) and just obliterating UConn last week (who was always overrated by the way) after losing their starting QB. Plus, ND is not on NBC this week, so that spells doom for the Irish. UNC 31 Notre Dame 28

#6 Penn St. at Wisconsin- I'll go with the easy pick of the night games first. The Nittany Lions will not give up an undefeated season in Madison just because the Badgers have an incredible home record in Big 10 play recently. Besides, the Badgers choked away a win against a true freshman QB last weekend (albeit Terrelle Pryor, no ordinary freshman). Evan Royster will carry the load for PSU and QB Daryll Clark will spread the ball around to his bevy of weapons at WR and TE. Clark is averaging 9.0 yards per attempt, in a non-passing offense, that's crazy. Michael Robinson anyone? Penn St. 34 Wisconsin 24

#17 Oklahoma St. at #3 Missouri- I can't wait until everyone calls this a statement win for Missouri. No, that will come, if it happens, against either Texas or Kansas during the season, and the Big XII South winner in the championship game (I'll go out on a limb and say that will be Oklahoma). Chase Daniel will go off, which sucks because I play him in fantasy this week, while Zac Robinson finds out what life is like playing catch-up and your favorite WR, Dez Bryant, can't get open because 6 and 7 DBs are out on the field. Missouri 62 Oklahoma St. 38

#4 LSU at #11 Florida- Logic says Florida is pissed after losing to LSU last year in a very close game at Baton Rouge. Logic also states that Florida rarely loses two home games in a season. Also, LSU decided to give the Gators some bulletin board material by saying they wanted to take out Tim Tebow. I think the main question here is whether or not the Tigers can stop the Gators explosive weapons on offense; Percy Harvin is a blur when he's in the open field and Chris Rainey can take it the distance any time, while the RB spot has more options than any time in recent memory for the Gators. However, the Tigers have tons of experience, albeit not at QB. Then again, Jarrett Lee learned on the road at Auburn and came away big in the clutch. Will he do it a 2nd time this season? Logic says no, but I disagree. LSU 29 Florida 27

Ok, enjoy the games. Go Vols against UGa, even though they won't win. Also, go San Jose St., which should be easy against Utah St. Also, EMU at Army may be a guilty pleasure game for me this weekend; a game I shouldn't be watching, neither have good bowl hopes, but they are two offenses coming together and I think it will be a fun game. ESPN Classic, 1:00 EST. tune in. Eagles' TB Terrence Blevins is a future NFL player in my book. He may be on a bad team but he can make broken plays, or plays blown up in the backfield into positive yardage and even TDs. See all of you next week.

Week 6 Preview

2008-09-30T17:10:00.000-07:00

Ok, sorry I missed last week, there was a lot to do with college classes, so, I kind of got behind and didn't want to make picks the day before. However, let's get to business for this week. First off, no Oregon State will not upset Utah and Pitt should get destroyed at South Florida. That's all for the pre-Saturday games.

Some fun matchups to watch out for include Duke at GA Tech in an early game. If the Blue Devils really want to establish themselves in the ACC, a win over the good Yellow Jackets triple-option offense would go a long way in proving the doubters wrong. Indiana can make up for a home loss to Michigan State by pounding Minnesota in the Metrodome. All things considering, I doubt the Gophers will shut down Kellen Lewis. Penn State also needs to stay awake against Purdue as the Boilermakers have a good TB in Kory Sheets and a pair of fantastic WRs in Desmond Tardy and Greg Orton. Their defense just needs to step it up a notch. Arizona State at Cal is the overrated Pac-10 game of the week as neither team is that good, even though the winner be hyped as "back on track" with a win.

For the mid-afternoon games we have many subplots; Florida State couldn't have asked for a worth spot than to travel to Miami needing a win. The 'Canes won't let that happen. Texas Tech should roll over Kansas State in a game where neither is expected to play much defense. Heck KSU could barely stop Louisiana-Lafayette. For the night games, Maryland needs to be careful at Virginia, as usually rivalry games produce surprise outcomes, no matter how inept one offense may be. Texas A&M could keep coach Sherman off the hotseat with a win at Oklahoma State, but I think the Cowboys will be too focused and have too many weapons on offense. Nonetheless, should be an entertaining game. Let's get to my picks of the week...

South Carolina at Ole Miss- This is the perfect letdown game for Ole Miss after a huge win on the road against Florida. However, I think being at home takes the pressure off and Rebels' QB Jevan Snead will do just fine. Besides that pressure, have you seen how horrible the Gamecocks are offensively? There's no way they win, even if their defense will keep it close. Ole Miss 26 South Carolina 14

Stanford at Notre Dame- I can't pick because I hate the Irish too much. I would never root for ND to win so I can be right. I think ND wins, but go Stanford.

Illinois at Michigan- The Illini have not many things going for them; they still need a dominant RB to produce and their offense is just finding itself after transitioning to more of a spread passing game instead of option. The balance will prove to be a good thing next year, when a lot of their key players have another year of experience. I still think this game could make or break both team's season. The winner is still in the hunt for a Big 10 title. I would say Michigan has momentum and the home-field advantage, but their lack of a passing game makes the Illini a slight favorite. Illinois 21 Michigan 17

#13 Auburn at #19 Vanderbilt- Nobody will taking the Commodores lightly this season, not after they beat South Carolina and have now become ranked in the top 20. That's the bad news for them, considering their biggest wins in the SEC have come from teams underestimating them. Auburn will not do that here. I know Auburn's offense is really bad, and has trouble establishing the run, which should be their strength. However, I just don't think the Commodores will be able to put enough points on the board against that tough Tigers' D. Commodores QB Chris Nickson is the key; if he can scramble for good yardage and make good choices in the passing game, with no turnovers, Vandy wins. I'd love to see Vandy win, but... Auburn 13 Vandy 7

#24 UConn at North Carolina- I love how the Huskies play ball; a smash-mouth running style combined with an effective passing game and a defense that can score points at any time and make big plays. However, losing their starting QB, Lorenzen, is not a good sign. UNC just saved their season last with a gigantic win at Miami, in comeback fashion no less. The momentum is so far on the Tar Heels side that I think it swings a pick 'em game into their favor. Hakeem Nicks will have a huge game I think, and while Donald Brown may have a big game rushing for the Huskies, it won't be enough. Surprisingly high-scoring here... UNC 34 UConn 30

#23 Oregon at #9 USC- Let's see, a freshman QB on the road, a passing game that rarely goes anywhere and a defense that was blasted at home by Boise State. These aren't good signs for the Ducks. If the Trojans aren't focused in this game, after losing to the "other Oregon" football team, then they don't deserve to be ranked, period. Blount and Johnson are great TBs for Oregon, heck even TE Ed Dickson and WR Jaison Williams are great weapons. However, their QB just isn't experienced enough to pull this off. USC 45 Oregon 28

#14 Ohio State at #18 Wisconsin- The Badgers seem like they should pull this game off. The Buckeyes are starting a true freshman at QB in one of the toughest places to play in college football. The only thing is, this is the LeBron James of freshman football players. And I promise you Buckeyes fans, this frosh won't turn out like Maurice Clarett. Terrelle Pryor will use his stable of RBs and his quick feet to move the ball early, then use play action to Robiskie and Hartline and it will be smooth sailing. The Badgers have no threats on offense. PJ Hill is a good, bruising TB, but you won't beat the Buckeyes in a ground-it-out, smash-mouth Big 10 game this season. The Buckeyes can score now that Boeckman is benched and this isn't your Woody Hayes/John Cooper OSU squad. The Buckeyes jump out early and the Badgers play catchup with little results. OSU 38 Wisconsin 28

Also, ranked Big 12 teams will face stiff competition on the road; Oklahoma plays at Baylor and the Bears have a phenomenal freshman QB, but the Sooners need not worry, their depth and talent will eventually win out. The Longhorns travel to Boulder, CO and will crash the Buffs. Missouri also goes on the road to Lincoln where the Huskers are ripe for getting blown out. Like I would trust that 'Huskers defense to stop a Mizzou offense that's averaging 600 total yards and 54 points per game. Enjoy the games everyone.